Providence and the People Who Were Already There
In 1636, Roger Williams and a small group of English settlers arrived near the head of Narragansett Bay. They called their settlement Providence, a name Williams chose to express his gratitude for what he believed was God’s care. Today, Providence is the capital of Rhode Island. But its history did not begin when the English arrived. Native peoples had lived in the region for thousands of years, and their decisions helped make the settlement possible.
A homeland, not an empty wilderness
The area around Narragansett Bay was home to several Indigenous communities. The Narragansett people lived chiefly west of the bay, while the Wampanoag people lived mainly to the east. Communities used rivers, coastal waters, forests, and fields to support their lives. They fished, gathered shellfish, hunted, and grew crops such as corn, beans, and squash. They also traded and maintained relationships with neighboring peoples.
The arrival of Europeans brought new goods and trading opportunities, but it also brought severe dangers. Diseases carried from Europe caused devastating epidemics among Native communities in New England, including outbreaks before Providence was founded. These losses affected families, leadership, and relationships among communities.
- epidemics:
- Outbreaks of disease that spread through communities.
- authority:
- The power or right to make decisions or give orders.
- territory:
- An area of land controlled or claimed by a group or government.
- hospitality:
- The friendly treatment of guests or people in need of shelter.
- deed:
- A legal document recording an agreement about property.
- obligations:
- Duties or responsibilities that someone is expected to fulfill.
- injustices:
- Unfair actions or treatment.
- perspective:
- A particular way of seeing or understanding something.
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Main Idea
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Purpose
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1Why does the article begin by describing Indigenous communities before discussing Providence’s founding?
- 2How does the description of Indigenous land use challenge colonists’ claims that land was empty?
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About this explanatory article passage for Middle School
“Providence and the People Who Were Already There” is a explanatory article reading passage about The founding of Providence, written for Middle School. It takes about 6 minutes to read (957 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.