Apparently renaming a state is on the ballot this November. See, the official state name is Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. They want to drop the Providence Plantations part, since plantations is a code word for slavery, or something, even though Rhode Island never really participated in that kind of slavery.
Hat Tip to Cam Edwards.
It’s only a codeword for slavery if you think the astronomical term “black hole” is racist. “Plantation” as a term is widely used in the 17th century to refer to any planting of crops or people. The Elizabethan settlements in northern Ireland were referred to as “plantations” even though no black slaves were ever brought there.
If you want to make smoke come out of the ears of these people: let them know that more than a million Europeans were sold into Islamic slavery between 1400 and 1800. As late as the 18th century, Islamic slave raiders were kidnapping entire Irish villages and selling the inhabitants into Middle Eastern slavery.
If they only drop the “Providence Plantations” part then that would leave: “Rhode Island and…” which creats the question…
and what?
This has cropped up once in a while at least since I was in middle (junior high) school in the 1950s, probably earlier. It may pass someday, which will remove our double distinction as the smallest State yet with the biggest name.
Plenty of slavery in Rhode Island, here’s some history:
http://www.slavenorth.com/rhodeisland.htm