Realizing Providence - Providence, RI
Posted by: 
The Snowdog
N 41° 49.814 W 071° 24.625
19T E 299838 N 4633736
The "Realizing Providence" historical marker is along the eastern walking path south of the historic well at Roger Williams National Memorial, a small park in downtown Providence, Rhode Island.
Waymark Code: WM1C5B4
Location: Rhode Island, United States
Date Posted: 06/07/2025
Views: 1
This historical marker is along the eastern walking path south of the historic well at
Roger Williams National Memorial, a small park in downtown Providence, Rhode Island. The topic of this marker is an agreement between Roger Williams and the Narragansett tribes on land use.
The artwork on the marker depicts early Providence, with settlers erecting houses and working the fields. The text along the top of the marker is:
Roger Williams said there was no amount of money that could have purchased Providence. In 1636, Williams and the Narragansett tribal leaders, or Sachems, Cononicus and Miantonomo, negotiated for the land that became Providence. Together, they agreed that Williams could use the land and the Sachems could have any of the English trade goods they wanted from Williams. This was not a "sale" of land, but the establishment of a relationship agreement. Each party had obligations to the other.
The English settlement at Providence was different from most New England towns. Each settler's long, narrow home lot ensured that everyone had some waterfront, some slope of the hill, and some flat land at the top of the hill. The rich resources of the saltwater cove supplemented the food produced on their small farms. In Providence, there was neither a central common nor a central meetinghouse or church.
The lower left corner of the marker contains a quote:
Boast not proud English of thy birth and blood; thy brother Indian is by birth as good. Of one blood God made him, and thee, and all as wise, as fair, as strong, as personal.
Roger Williams (1643)