Rhode Island

How did Rhode Island get its name since it isn’t an island??

Ok, first, the Rhode Island explanation:

Nobody knows. Some think an early explorer believed that Narragansett Bay was strait, and Rhode Island was cut off from the mainland. Others think it was just the name of an island in the bay, but nobody knows which one. And the City of Newport is located on Aquidneck Island.

Now for reality:

The state named *Rhode Island and Providence Plantations *was named for the plantations in the mainland of the state and the island that the Newport is located on, which if you look at a map, you will see clearly labeled as Rhode Island.

Most people don’t know about the full name of the state. But the real question is; Why are Row Dilanders so dumb they don’t know how their state was named?

Um, what?

I grew up in RI, and think it was in the third grade that I learned Rhode Island (aka Aquidneck Island) was so dubbed because it reminded Verrazzano of the Island of Rhodes in Greece.

We also learned that we were the “smallest state with the longest name.”

So I don’t know about your slur against all Roe Dyelinders.

I didn’t specify all Rhodies. But let me rephrase:

Why are so many Row Dilanders so dumb they don’t know how their state was named?

Regardless of how the name originally came to be, it isn’t the dumbest name ever for a piece of geography. Rhode Island isn’t one island but a significant part of the state is a series of islands connected by bridges especially in the beautiful Newport area. Block Island is a real Island by any definition. It is pretty obvious that Roe Dighlanders aren’t just deluding themselves (for a change of pace I assume) by keeping the name. I live close to Rhode Island and I barely know what to make of it sometimes. That is one goofy state.

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/rinewzz.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/namerica/usstates/ri.htm&h=350&w=320&sz=32&tbnid=-OcfijxGDJLWuM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=82&prev=/search%3Fq%3Drhode%2Bisland%2Bmap%26tbm%3Disch%26tbo%3Du&zoom=1&q=rhode+island+map&hl=en&usg=__k_5ce3vAjcYOQ0jKVM-K0XKH3mI=&sa=X&ei=VZ3yTeKPDcrZgQfCobjBCw&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAg&dur=488

Well I’d argue most Rhode Islanders know there states correct name. Not to long ago it was put up to a vote to change the name from ‘Rhode Island and Providence Plantations’ to just ‘Rhode Island’ and it was soundly rejected by like 80 percent of the voters.

Personally I’d have voted to shorten it, I think those people are just weird.

That proves nothing. As a native Rhode Islander myself, I can attest that most RIers don’t know the full name.

We’re quite happy with the official (long) name. No reason to change it, since it doesn’t come up as an issue very often anyway.

As close to “official” as we’re going to get on the name’s oriogins: Civics And Education - Rhode Island - Gregg M. Amore

One thing is clear is that Roe D’eyelander’s have more ways to misspell their state name than inhabitants of any other state.

I can not think of two places on Earth more dissimilar than Rhodes and Rhode Island. At least, nowadays.

You mean to tell me that Rhodes does not have a bunch of shuttered plastic jewelry manufacturing plants?