Rhode Island in The American Revolution - Pre-colonization

Pre-colonization

Native American inhabitants, including the Wampanoag, Narragansett, and Niantic tribes, occupied most of the area now known as Rhode Island. Most of the Native Americans were killed by diseases contracted through contact with French settlers and explorers, and through warfare with the Europeans. The Narragansett language died out for many years but was partially preserved in Roger Williams' the A Key into the Languages of America (1643). In the 21st century, the Narragansett tribe remains a federally recognized entity in Rhode Island.