>>1901764Rhode Island's full, legal name is the "State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations". The "Providence Plantations" part is pretty easy to figure out, as it was Roger Williams' original colony that grew from the mainland city of Providence. "Rhode Island" was actually the original name of Aquidneck Island, which contained the then colonial settlements of Newport and Portsmouth. The merger of these three entities formed the "Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations", shortened to the familiar "Rhode Island".
