Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Roger Williams founded Providence Plantations in 1636. The early settlers pursued a diverse, subsistence-plus-trade economy:
Corn (maize), wheat, rye, barley, and vegetables grown in fertile Narragansett Bay soils. Native American neighbors (Narragansett, Wampanoag) taught planting techniques.
Narragansett Bay's deep harbors enabled coastal trade with Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Netherland, and the West Indies. Colonists built small vessels (sloops, shallops) for fishing, transport, and export of timber, furs, and farm produce.
Cod, bass, herring, and shellfish provided food and export income. Shore-based whaling began early; whale oil was a valuable commodity for lighting.
Cattle, pigs, sheep, and horses provided meat, dairy, wool, leather, and draft power. Livestock often grazed on common lands or islands in the bay.
By the 1640s, the colony hosted one of America's earliest ironworks (e.g., Hammersmith in present-day East Greenwich), producing tools, nails, and hardware from local bog iron.
This mixed economy—farming, sea, and early industry—laid the foundation for Rhode Island's later commercial and industrial prominence.