285:
sent, and having in order thereto chosen the
President, Benedict Arnold, Moderator of the Assembly, it was Voted: That the box in which the King's gratious letters were enclosed be opened, and the letters with the broad seale thereto affixed be taken forth and read by Captayne George Baxter in the audience and view of all the people; which was accordingly done, and the sayd letters with his Majesty's Royall Stampe, and the broad seal, with much becoming gravity held up on hygh, and presented to the perfect view of the people, and then returned into the box and locked up by the Governor, in order to the safe keeping of it.
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161:, to have the instrument revoked in 1653, then remained in England for the next decade and became the agent to represent the interests of the fledgling Rhode Island colony. Commissioners of the four settlements forwarded ideas to Clarke concerning a possible union of the settlements into a single colony. The overthrow of Cromwell's Commonwealth and the
198:
The government was to consist of a governor, a deputy governor, ten assistants, and a house of deputies: six from
Newport, four each from Providence, Warwick, and Portsmouth, and two from every other town. The governor, deputy governor, and assistants were to be chosen annually by election at Newport
284:
At a very great meeting and assembly of the freemen of the colony of
Providence Plantation, at Newport, in Rhode Island, in New England, November the 24th, 1663. The abovesayed Assembly being legally called and orderly mett for the sollome reception of his Majestyes gratious letter pattent unto them
270:
The charter specifically required that the adjacent colonies permit the people of Rhode Island to pass unmolested, due to various acts committed in the past by other colonies. It also minutely defined the boundary lines for Rhode Island Colony, though it was nearly a century before
Massachusetts and
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A second remarkable point in the charter is the right of conscience that it extended to the Rhode Island colonists, which became the "sole distinguishing feature of Rhode Island's history". A third distinguishing point is its "democratic liberalism" which allowed the Rhode Island colonists to elect
177:
The Royal
Charter of 1663 confirmed everything that the Patent of 1643–1644 had given, and it granted power to the colony to make its own laws, guaranteed religious freedom, and did not require oaths of allegiance. Three points in the charter distinguish it from any other royal patent that had ever
117:
The charter contains unique provisions which make it significantly different from the charters granted to the other colonies. It gave the colonists freedom to elect their own governor and write their own laws, within very broad guidelines, and also stipulated that no person residing in Rhode Island
279:
Rhode Island's
General Court of Commissioners convened at Newport on 24 November 1663 for the last time under the parliamentary patent of 1643–1644. The inhabitants and legislators gathered to learn the result of John Clarke's decade-long efforts, described in the colonial records:
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established this policy when he settled the colony by paying the
Narragansetts for the land, and his views were maintained by those who followed him there. These views were set forth by Clarke in his address to the King, and thus became incorporated within the royal charter.
199:
on the first
Wednesday of May, and the deputies were to be chosen by their representative towns. The entire legislative body would be called the General Assembly and would meet in May and October, though the places and times of meeting could be altered.
153:. The settlements banded together under the Patent of 1643–1644, recognizing their corporate existence and compelling recognition from their neighbors as well. The patent produced a confederacy of the four settlements, not a united single colony.
195:
their own officers and make their own laws, so long as they were not contrary to the laws of
England. The provisions were very flexible, allowing the laws to consider "the nature and constitution of the place and people there".
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The
Charter was not replaced until 1843, 180 years later, in order to extend the rights to all native adult males, including blacks. It was the oldest constitutional charter in the world when it was retired.
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121:
The charter was not replaced until 1843, after serving for nearly two centuries as the guiding force of the colony and then the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. Historian
770:– complete texts of many other royal charters granted to the British colonies in North America, with provisions similar or identical to those found in the Rhode Island charter
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in Providence, and a photographic copy is on display at the State Archives. The State House's charter exhibit was redesigned and rededicated in January 2016.
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could be "molested, punished, disquieted, or called in question for any differences in opinion in matters of religion".
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The legislature voted the following day that words of humble thanks should be delivered to the King and also to the
239:, William Field, and Joseph Clarke as deputies. It also lists primary purchasers and free inhabitants of the colony
114:. It was the guiding document of the colony's government (and that of the state later) over a period of 180 years.
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been granted. It acknowledges Indian rights to the soil, which was far different than the European doctrine of "
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writes that "Rhode Island was the first solemn protest" against taking land from the Indians without payment.
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in July 1663. It superseded the 1643 Patent for Settlement and outlined many freedoms for the inhabitants of
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Charter which provided royal recognition to the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
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633:"My Turn: Erik J. Chaput and Russell J. DeSimone: How Rhode Island expanded black rights"
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described it as "the grandest instrument of human liberty ever constructed".
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named as deputy governor until the first election. The charter named
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A Lively Experiment: Reflections on the Charter of 1663 publication
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The History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
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293:. They voted to give a £100 gratuity to Clarke and £25 to Baxter.
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History of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
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Erik J. Chaput and Russell J. DeSimone (16 September 2017).
718:. Vol. 3. New York: The American Historical Society.
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724:"Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations"
704:. Vol. 1. New York: D. Appleton & Company.
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799:Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
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313:The original Royal Charter is on display at the
309:The Royal Charter exhibit after 2016 redesign
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409:List of lieutenant governors of Rhode Island
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404:List of colonial governors of Rhode Island
203:was named in the charter as governor and
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414:List of early settlers of Rhode Island
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726:. The Laws of Nature and Nature's God
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764:from the Rhode Island State Archives
271:Connecticut stopped disputing them.
60:Rhode Island State House, Providence
768:The Avalon Project, Yale Law School
263:, Richard Tew, Thomas Harris, and
102:provided royal recognition to the
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742:. Rhode Island Secretary of State
664:Tefft, Artie (30 January 2016).
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180:possession by right of discovery
89:Establish the government of the
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740:"Rhode Island Royal Charter"
689:General and cited references
804:Thirteen Colonies documents
668:. WJAR News. Archived from
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100:Rhode Island Royal Charter
35:Rhode Island Royal Charter
710:Bicknell, Thomas Williams
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315:Rhode Island State House
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106:, approved by England's
399:History of Rhode Island
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638:The Providence Journal
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809:Charles II of England
696:Arnold, Samuel Greene
377:British Empire portal
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80:Charles II of England
18:Royal Charter of 1663
784:1663 in Rhode Island
645:on 17 September 2017
600:Rhode Island Charter
335:United States portal
233:John Coggeshall, Jr.
467:, pp. 285–286.
363:Rhode Island portal
349:New England portal
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261:Samuel Wilbur, Jr.
241:William Coddington
163:Stuart Restoration
672:on 18 August 2016
291:Earl of Clarendon
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647:. Retrieved
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509:Arnold 1859
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465:Arnold 1859
453:Arnold 1859
213:John Porter
155:John Clarke
75:Signatories
69:John Clarke
52:8 July 1663
789:1663 works
778:Categories
420:References
391:Law portal
225:John Smith
173:Provisions
147:Portsmouth
139:Providence
129:Background
730:15 August
425:Citations
65:Author(s)
712:(1920).
698:(1859).
321:See also
167:new King
57:Location
151:Warwick
143:Newport
86:Purpose
49:Created
676:8 July
301:Legacy
149:, and
78:King
748:2014
732:2012
678:2023
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133:The
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