THE COLONY THAT
DARED TO GO FIRST.
Rhode Island's story is America's story — a story of defiance, independence, and the belief that free people can govern themselves better than any distant power. It's time to write the next chapter.
FIRST IN INDEPENDENCE — CONFIRMED
The historical record is clear and unambiguous: on May 4, 1776, the General Assembly of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations passed the Act of Renunciation, formally severing the colony's legal ties to King George III. This document, preserved by the Rhode Island Secretary of State, declares that Rhode Island "renounced and disclaimed all allegiance, subjection, and obedience" to the British Crown.
This act came 62 days before the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. The Library of Congress, the American Revolution Museum, and the Rhode Island Historical Society all confirm Rhode Island's status as the first colony to formally declare independence.
This was not a rash act. Rhode Island had been building toward independence for years. In 1772, Rhode Island patriots burned the British revenue schooner HMS Gaspée in Narragansett Bay — one of the first acts of armed resistance against British rule in the colonies. The colony's founder, Roger Williams, had established Providence in 1636 on principles of religious liberty and self-governance that were radical for their time.
Rhode Island's independent character was so strong that it was the lastof the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution in 1790 — and only did so after the Bill of Rights was guaranteed. The Ocean State has always demanded that government respect the rights of its citizens.
"Rhode Island was the first state to renounce its allegiance to the King and passage of this act preceded the Declaration of Independence by two months."— Rhode Island Secretary of State, Act of Renunciation documentation
As the nation celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence in 2026, Rhode Island has a unique and powerful story to tell. The Ocean State didn't just participate in the founding of America — it led it. That independent, freedom-first spirit is the DNA of Rhode Island.
But today, that spirit is under threat. Decades of one-party liberal governance have transformed the state that was first in freedom into one of the least free states in the nation by nearly every economic measure. High taxes, crushing energy costs, an anti-business regulatory environment, and a government that grows while its citizens' prosperity shrinks — this is not the Rhode Island that dared to go first.
A Rhode Island First PAC was founded to reclaim that founding legacy. We believe that the principles that made Rhode Island bold enough to declare independence before anyone else — individual liberty, limited government, personal accountability, and free enterprise — are the same principles that will restore the Ocean State to greatness.
KEY FACTS
- Date of RI IndependenceMay 4, 1776
- Days Before July 4th62 Days
- DocumentAct of Renunciation
- Passed ByRI General Assembly
- Founded ByRoger Williams, 1636
- Nation's Anniversary250 Years — 2026
BE PART OF THE NEXT CHAPTER
Rhode Island was first to declare independence. Help us be first to restore it.
JOIN USFROM FIRST TO FORGOTTEN —
AND BACK AGAIN.
Founded on Freedom
Roger Williams founds Providence, Rhode Island on radical principles of religious liberty and separation of church and state — ideas that would later form the bedrock of the American republic.
The Gaspée Affair
Rhode Island patriots burn the British revenue schooner HMS Gaspée in Narragansett Bay — one of the first acts of armed resistance against British rule, predating the Boston Tea Party by over a year.
First in Independence
The General Assembly of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations formally renounces allegiance to King George III — becoming the first colony in America to declare independence, 62 days before the Declaration of Independence.
The Nation Follows
The Continental Congress adopts the Declaration of Independence. Rhode Island's bold act of defiance two months earlier helped set the stage for the birth of a new nation.
Last to Ratify
True to its independent character, Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the U.S. Constitution — only doing so after the Bill of Rights was guaranteed.
250 Years Later
As America celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence, Rhode Island faces a choice: continue down the path of high taxes, government dependency, and economic decline — or reclaim the independent, freedom-first spirit that made it great.
THE STORY ISN'T OVER.
Rhode Island's best days are ahead — if we have the courage to fight for them. Join the movement to restore the principles that made this state, and this nation, great.
JOIN THE MOVEMENT