What Rhode Island Grew: Corn, Onions, Flax & the Colonial Economy

Rhode Island's early agriculture was shaped by rocky terrain, limited flat land, and maritime trade. The colony became a surprising agricultural exporter.

1. Corn (Maize) – The Foundational Crop

• Introduced 1636 (Native teaching: hill planting, fish fertilizer, drying for storage).
• Currency: 1638 General Assembly set fixed prices: White corn = 6 shillings/bushel; Yellow corn = 4 shillings/bushel. Used to pay taxes, debts, wages.
• Exports: Corn meal, dried corn, livestock fed on corn → shipped to Caribbean (sugar plantations), other colonies.

2. Onions – The "Cash Crop" of the 1700s

• Thrived in Narragansett Bay coastal soils (sandy, well-drained).
• Major export to West Indies (provisioning slave ships, plantations).
• South County (Washington Co.) famous for onions.

3. Flax – For Linen & Trade

• Grown for fiber (linen) and linseed oil.
• Processed locally (retting, breaking, scutching, hackling) – household & small-mill industry.
• Exported to Britain, other colonies.

Other Notable Crops

• Apples/Cider: Major production; cider = daily drink, currency.
• Cheese (Narragansett): Exported widely; "Rhode Island cheese" = quality mark.
• Horses (Narragansett Pacer): Famous gaited saddle horse, exported to Caribbean, South.

Shift to Maritime/Industrial (Late 1700s Onward)

Limited arable land + superior harbors → shipbuilding, rum distillation (molasses → rum → slaves), slave trade, China trade, textiles (Slater Mill 1790 – US Industrial Revolution birth). Agriculture declined relatively but never vanished.