Narragansett

(noun)

An Algonquian tribe from Rhode Island, and historically one of the leading tribes of New England. 

Related Terms

(noun)

The Narragansett are an Algonquian Native American tribe from Rhode Island. Historically the Narragansett were one of the leading tribes of New England, controlling the west of Narragansett Bay in present-day Rhode Island, and also portions of Connecticut and eastern Massachusetts, from the Providence River on the northeast to Pawcatuck River on the southwest.

Related Terms

Examples of Narragansett in the following topics:

  • Rhode Island

    • Fleeing from religious persecution, Williams went on to found Providence Plantation in 1636 on land gifted by the Narragansett and Pequot tribes.
    • Williams named the other islands in the Narragansett Bay after virtues: Patience Island, Prudence Island, and Hope Island.
    • In 1644, Roger Williams secured a land patent establishing the Incorporation of Providence Plantations in the Narragansett Bay.
    • The Narragansett also invaded and burned down several cities in Rhode Island, including Providence, although they allowed the population to leave first.
    • Engraved print depicting Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, meeting with the Narragansett Indians.

  • The Pequot War

    • English troops, with the help of Mohegan and Narragansett allies, burned the village and killed the estimated 400-700 Pequot inside.
    • Both the Narragansett and the Mohegan refused to side with the Pequot.
    • Influenced by Roger Williams, the Narragansett, and many smaller tribes, remained neutral On May 26, 1637, a military force under John Mason and John Underhill attacked the Pequot village located near New Haven, Conn.

  • King Philip's War

    • For nearly 50 years after the colonists' arrival, Massasoit of the Wampanoag had maintained an uneasy alliance with the English to benefit from their trade goods and as a counter-weight to his tribe's traditional enemies, the Pequot, Narragansett, and the Mohegan.

  • France and Spain in the Revolutionary War

    • Rochambeau landed at Newport, Rhode Island, in July 1780, and remained there for a year to support the French fleet blockaded by the British in Narragansett Bay.

  • English Colonies

    • Roger Williams on land provided by the Narragansett.

  • The Massachusetts Bay Colony

    • In the 1630s, the Puritans in Massachusetts and Plymouth allied themselves with the Narragansett and Mohegan people against the Pequot, who had recently expanded their claims into southern New England.

  • The Dominion of New England

    • The Dominion of New England in North America was an administrative union of English colonies, including the territories of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, the Province of New Hampshire, the Province of Maine, and the Narragansett Country (present-day Washington County, Rhode Island).