What did Rhode Island grow?

Corn was first planted in Rhode Island around 1636. The state was a major producer of corn and exported surplus corn meal and dried corn that the Native Americans had taught the colonists how to prepare for a longer shelf-life.

Corn had many applications in the growing colony, including serving as a barterable currency, so much that in 1638 the General Assembly set a price for it: 6 shillings a bushel for white corn, and 4 shillings for yellow corn.

Early on in the colony’s development, Rhode Island's economy was heavily based on agriculture. It was not uncommon for people to farm on the sides of hills. There was never enough flat space for everyone to farm efficiently. By the 1700s, Rhode Island was well-known for its production of corn, onions, and flax, and even exported these crops.