[NA] State abbreviation RI?

TangoWhiskey said:
What's US state has the abbreviation RI?
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Greg Bockelman said:
Rhode Island.
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Well there is no state actually just called Rhode Island, but the abbreviation RI does stand for the U.S. State of 'Rhode Island and Providence Plantations'

Rhode Island and Providence Plantations is the official name of the the first two merged colonies that had declared their independence from England and is the smallest state in the USA.
 
smigaldi said:
Well there is no state actually just called Rhode Island, but the abbreviation RI does stand for the U.S. State of 'Rhode Island and Providence Plantations'
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Ding ding ding! We have a winner. Scott, you're a smart one.

I'd never heard of this full name, neither had my trivia-buff wife or brainiac daughter. But it IS the official name, and is what is used in official correspondence and court proceedings.

I only learned about it from a news story about a bill to change the name to simply 'Rhode Island', as some would like to dispense with any ties to slavery (the "Plantation" in Providence). Of course, Brown University's initial endowment was slave trading funds... what do they intend to do? Shut down this establishment of learning?

You can't hide from your past. I don't think it makes sense to bury it either, lest the lessons be lost.
 
Ahh, stupidity rearing its ugly head yet again. This time, mistaking the colonial "plantation" as seen in RI&PP with its uglier, later, Ante Bellum Southern incarnation.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Ahh, stupidity rearing its ugly head yet again. This time, mistaking the colonial "plantation" as seen in RI&PP with its uglier, later, Ante Bellum Southern incarnation.
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True, the plantation term as used in RI referred to its status as a farm in a Colony with ties to Britain, not a Southern Plantation employing slaves.

However, it is also true that the Brown family in Providence was a major player in the slave trade, and used those slaves on their plantation:

http://www.brown.edu/Facilities/John_Carter_Brown_Library/jcbexhibit/Pages/exhibSlavery.html
 
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...I think, if the War of Northern Aggression were instituted today, the outcome might be a little different.
 
TangoWhiskey said:
You can't hide from your past. I don't think it makes sense to bury it either, lest the lessons be lost.
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But nobody even knows the full name, really. Many times, organizations will update their bylaws "to conform to actual operating procedures." That's all this really is, IMHO.
 
flyingcheesehead said:
But nobody even knows the full name, really. Many times, organizations will update their bylaws "to conform to actual operating procedures." That's all this really is, IMHO.
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And to boot, putting The State of Rhode Island and the Providence Plantation on an envelope would take up too much room.
I've lived next to RI for my whole life and I didn't know the full name until I saw the story on the name change. What BS! When I first heard the whole name (which started with "The Colony of"), my thought was colonial America. Wiki has a pretty good write up.
We can't change the past by white washing the signs of it. The change needs to come from within.
 
Henning said:
Republic of Texas as well.....
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_texas

Not exactly! It really is "Texas"; "Republic of Texas" was a sovereign nation in North America that existed between Mexico and the United States from 1836 to 1846... but there are those that would like to see it return! :rolleyes:

Texas is among just a handful of states that were NOT U.S. Territories before being admitted to the Union... there are five others.
 
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dmccormack said:
Since we're on this kick -- not one person lives in the state of Pennsylvania...

It's the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

(Virginia, too)
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silver-eagle said:
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Doesn't fit on an envelope either.
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And there is yet one more with "Commonwealth of" in its name...

(Ben Stein voice: "Anyone, anyone?")

P.S.--This is a trivia thread, and was intended to be such! Didn't mean for it to go down the slave trade / plantation thing. Don't want this to end up in SZ.
 
All you trivia nuts are wrong...
The USPS is the official arbiter of names and addresses... Any envelope with just the words Rhode Island in the line for the state, will get it there... Ergo, Rhode Island is a state as defined by the USPS...

denny-o
 
Dr. O said:
All you trivia nuts are wrong...
The USPS is the official arbiter of names and addresses... Any envelope with just the words Rhode Island in the line for the state, will get it there... Ergo, Rhode Island is a state as defined by the USPS...

denny-o
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The USPS forwards mail to Santa Claus too. Are you saying that ergo USPS has created Santa? :D
 
Dr. O said:
All you trivia nuts are wrong...
The USPS is the official arbiter of names and addresses... Any envelope with just the words Rhode Island in the line for the state, will get it there... Ergo, Rhode Island is a state as defined by the USPS...

denny-o
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Well, inconsistencies in Government are not exactly novel...

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the Pennsylvania State Police.

Maybe next time I get pulled over I'll inform the officer there is no "state" of Pennsylvania and that therefore his position is a sham.
 
dmccormack said:
Well, inconsistencies in Government are not exactly novel...

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has the Pennsylvania State Police.

Maybe next time I get pulled over I'll inform the officer there is no "state" of Pennsylvania and that therefore his position is a sham.
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You'll look good in orange. :rolleyes:;)
 
I believe the other commonwealth is Kentucky.

and...

It's really sad that Texas isn't still the Republic of Texas.:rolleyes:
 
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