-Slavery: Rhode Island was one of the last colonies in New England to abolish slavery. Slavery was legal in the colony until 1842, and it was not until the 1850s that all African Americans in the colony were granted full civil rights.
-Discrimination against Native Americans: The colony of Rhode Island had a long history of conflict with the Native American tribes who lived in the area. The colony often took land from the Native Americans, and it sometimes used violence against them.