Did the People of Rhode Island Ever Leave Their Homes En Masse?

No. There is no historical evidence of a mass exodus or abandonment of Rhode Island by its population at any point.

Rhode Island's history features:

• 1636: Roger Williams founds Providence after exile from Massachusetts Bay
• 1638: Anne Hutchinson's followers settle Portsmouth
• 1663: Royal Charter unites settlements as "Rhode Island and Providence Plantations"
• 1776: First colony to renounce British allegiance
• 1790: Last to ratify Constitution
• 19th–20th c.: Industrialization, immigration, suburbanization

Population has grown steadily (1M+ today). Temporary displacements occurred during King Philip's War (1675–76) and the 1938 hurricane, but no permanent, wholesale departure.