The smallest state in America has the longest official name!

That’s right - Rhode Island’s official state name is “The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations”. You may think this moniker is scarcely used, but it actually appears on several of Rhode Island’s official documents, including its state seal and the original Royal Charter issued by King Charles II in 1663! The full name harkens back to the unification of the “Providence Plantations” settlement with nearby communities into a singular government. Last fall, members of the state legislature voted to keep the word “plantations” the official name, despite the fact that it is reminiscent of Rhode Island’s role in the slave trade.

at 03:33