Moses Brown's Elm Grove Estate

Following an extremely successful career as a merchant, Moses Brown acquired a large parcel of land to the west of the Seekonk River.  If you needed further proof of his wealth then know that the house he built on that estate was originally only used as a seasonal residence.. 

Decline of Commerce in the Early 19th Century

American trade declined dramatically during the Jefferson Embargo and the War of 1812 due to trade restrictions and British blockades.  Although this had extremely detrimental effects on the Rhode Island economy it also proved to be the catalyst that pushed them towards textile manufacturing. 

Growth of Manufacturing

Although Samuel Slater showed locals via Slater Mill and Slatersville that textile manufacturing could be successful in Rhode Island the merchants didn't have a reason to move away from trade.  However, when the Jefferson Embargo and War of 1812 began they found that reason, spurring on Rhode Island's move to an industrialized economy.  

Unbalanced 19th Century Population Growth

Due to rapid industrialization, Rhode Island's population grew by 154% from 1790 - 1860, however that growth was not evenly distributed throughout the state.  Towns located in the northern part of the state (labeled as "expanding towns") grew drastically because of their move to a more industrialized economy.  On the other hand, towns in the western and southern part of the state (labeled as "static & declining towns") did not make this shift, causing their population size to either remain stagnant or shrink. 

MYTH: Samuel Slater was Hesitant to Adopt the Power Loom

If you're a real Rhode Island history buff you might have read that Samuel Slater was hesitant to adopt the power loom and that he preferred the putting-out system, which entailed having yarn woven into cloth by local families.  However, after speaking with Park Rangers Allison Horrocks and Mark Mello I learned that this isn't true.  Samuel Slater wrote to his brother John Slater in 1816 (the same year William Gilmore built the first power loom in Rhode Island) asking if he made any progress around bringing the power loom technology to Smithfield.  Then, he continued to state how he thought they should "get some underway as soon as it is practicable".  Allison and Mark explained that the reason it took so long to begin using power looms was because of how difficult it was to reproduce the machine.  

America's First Bank Failure Took Place in Rhode Island

The Farmers Exchange Bank (bank's original building pictured) was opened in 1804 in the village of Chepachet and was finaced with a capital of $100,000.  However, after issuing far more money than it could cover, the bank eventually failed in 1809.  This not only caused a panic throughout the state and helped to fuel people's distrust of paper money but was also the nation's first ever bank failure.

Rhode Island was hit with a huge hurricane right after the War of 1812 ended

In 1815, a massive hurricane known as the The Gale of 1815 caused widespread destruction in Rhode Island, especially in Providence, where a storm surge flooded the downtown area up to four feet deep. Powerful winds destroyed homes, uprooted trees, and damaged farms across the state. Many ships were wrecked in Narragansett Bay, severely impacting the maritime and fishing industries. The storm also led to significant economic losses and spurred changes in coastal planning and construction. It remains one of the most destructive storms in Rhode Island’s history.