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Gaspee

 
 
Columbia Encyclopedia: Gaspee
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Gaspee (găs'pē'), British revenue cutter, burned (June 10, 1772) at Namquit (now Gaspee) Point in the present-day city of Warwick on the western shore of Narragansett Bay, R.I. The vessel arrived in Mar., 1772, to enforce the revenue laws in an area where virtually the whole citizenry was engaged in smuggling, and her presence was decidedly unwelcome. Her commander, Lieutenant Dudingston, provoked the navigators of the bay further by the manner in which he carried out his duties. On June 9, 1772, the Gaspee was lured aground c.7 mi (11 km) S of Providence while giving chase to a suspect. A group of prominent Providence men, including John Brown and Joseph Bucklin, decided to burn the ship, and Capt. Abraham Whipple led the raiders. They boarded the Gaspee, wounded the commander, captured the crew, and then burned the vessel at the water's edge. Gov. Joseph Wanton, in the difficult position of having to enforce British regulations without offending his constituents (Rhode Island elected its own governor), admirably solved the problem by issuing proclamations for the arrest of the officially unknown offenders and then doing virtually nothing about them. Despite a large reward offered by the British, the names of the men involved, though well known in Providence, were not revealed until after the outbreak of the American Revolution. The incident was one of the most famous colonial acts of defiance in the troubled years before independence.

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Wikipedia: Warwick, Rhode Island
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City of Warwick
—  City  —
Warwick City Hall
Location of Warwick in Kent County,Rhode Island
Coordinates: 41°42′00″N 71°24′58″W / 41.7°N 71.41611°W / 41.7; -71.41611
Country United States
State Rhode Island
County Kent
Incorporated (town) 1642
Incorporated (city) 1931
Government
 - Type Mayor-council
 - Mayor Scott Avedisian
Area
 - Total 49.62 sq mi (128.52 km2)
 - Land 35.50 sq mi (91.94 km2)
 - Water 14.1 sq mi (36.6 km2)
Elevation 36 ft (11 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 85,808
 - Density 2,457/sq mi (949/km2)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02886-02889
Area code(s) 401
FIPS code 44-74300[1]
GNIS feature ID 1220018[2]
Website http://www.warwickri.gov/

Warwick is a city in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. It is the second largest city in the state, with a population of 85,808 at the 2000 census. Its mayor has been Scott Avedisian since 2000. Founded by Samuel Gorton in 1642, Warwick has witnessed major events in American history.

Warwick was decimated during King Philip's War (1675–76) and was the site of the first shot fired during the American Revolution against the British schooner Gaspée. Warwick is also the home of revolutionary war general Nathanael Greene, George Washington's second-in-command, and the Civil War hero of the battle of Gettysburg, General George S. Greene.

Warwick is home to Rhode Island's main airport, T. F. Green Airport, which serves the greater Providence area and also functions as a reliever for Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts. It is also the home of the 43rd Military Police Brigade of the Rhode Island Army National Guard.

Contents

Early history

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Kent County, Rhode Island

Warwick was founded in 1642 by Samuel Gorton when Narragansett Indian Chief Sachem Miantonomi agreed to accept 144 fathoms of Wampumpeague for what was known as "The Shawhomett Purchase". This included the present day towns of Coventry and West Warwick. However, the purchase was not without dispute. The two sachems of the area, Sacononoco and Pumham, stated that Miantonomi had sold the land without asking for their approval. The two sachems took their case to Boston, Massachusetts where they placed their lands under Massachusetts rule. In 1643 Massachusetts sent a militia force to Shawomett to arrest Gorton and his followers. After a tense standoff, all but three of the Gortonists surrendered to the Massachusetts force. This event caused the other three towns on Narragansett Bay (Providence, Portsmouth, and Newport) to unite and get a royal charter allowing the towns on Narragansett Bay to form the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.

In 1648, Gorton was granted a Charter by Robert Rich, 2nd Earl of Warwick, Lord Admiral and head of the Parliamentary Commission on Plantation Affairs. Because of this, the name of the settlement was changed from Shawhomett to Warwick. While Massachusetts continued to lay claim to the area, it made no further effort to enforce it.

In 1772, Warwick was the scene for the first violent act against the Crown when, in what was to be called the Gaspée Affair, local patriots boarded the British HMS Gaspée, a revenue cutter charged with enforcing the Stamp Act 1765 and Townshend Acts in an area where smuggling was common, the Narragansett Bay. It was here that the first blood of the American Revolution was spilled when the commanding officer of the Gaspée, Lt. Duddingston, was shot in his crotch while resisting the taking of his ship. The Gaspée was stripped of all cannon and arms before being torched.

During the Revolution, Warwick Militiamen participated in the battles of Montreal, Quebec, Saratoga, Monmouth, Trenton, Rhode Island, and were present for the surrender at Yorktown.

Geography

Warwick is located at 41°43′5″N 71°24′55″W / 41.71806°N 71.41528°W / 41.71806; -71.41528 (41.718114, -71.415227)[3].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 49.6 square miles (128.5 km²), of which, 35.5 square miles (91.9 km²) of it is land and 14.1 square miles (36.6 km²) of it (28.46%) is water.

The following villages are located in Warwick:

Demographics

Warwick is officially a part of the Providence metropolitan area, which has an estimated population of 1,622,520. As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 85,808 people, 35,517 households, and 22,979 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,417.2 people per square mile (933.3/km²). There were 37,085 housing units at an average density of 1,044.7/sq mi (403.3/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 95.21% White, 1.16% African American, 0.25% Native American, 1.49% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 1.28% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.60% of the population.

There were 35,517 households out of which 27.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 50.7% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.3% were non-families. 29.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the city the population was spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 90.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $46,483, and the median income for a family was $56,225. Males had a median income of $39,455 versus $28,946 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,410. About 4.2% of families and 5.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.4% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable residents

Education

Local public schools are operated by Warwick Public Schools [1]. Toll Gate High School, Warwick Veterans Memorial High School,and Pilgrim High School are the three comprehensive public high schools located in Warwick. The three public middle schools are Winman Junior High School, Aldrich Junior High School and Gorton Junior High School. Bishop Hendricken High School is a Catholic, all male, college preparatory high school located in Warwick as well.

The Community College of Rhode Island Knight Campus is also located in Warwick.

References

  1. ^ a b "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  2. ^ "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. 2007-10-25. http://geonames.usgs.gov. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 
  3. ^ "US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2005-05-03. http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/gazette.html. Retrieved 2008-01-31. 

External links

v • d • e
Municipalities and communities of
Kent County, Rhode Island
City

Warwick
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v • d • e

 
State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
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Warwick (city, Rhode Island)
Narragansett Bay (American history)
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