Power and Politics: The Struggle for the Soul of Providence Tour

Learn about Providence's political heroes and villains!

Rhode Island has always been a hotbed of dissent and conflict, from its founding as a haven for religious dissidents to its status as the first colony to declare independence from Great Britain. But for this tour, we'll take a closer look at Rhode Island's internal conflicts, including how Rhode Island's tremendous profit on the international slave trade powered the Industrial Revolution, how the state disenfranchised tens of thousands of immigrant voters in the Progressive Era, all the way through how the state fought but failed to prevent the first Gay Pride parade from taking place in Providence.

Providence has also been home to courageous and resilient people who were able to achieve incredible feats despite the deck being stacked against them in every way. Learn about Edward Bannister, a 19th-century Black barber who overcame prejudice to become a painter of national acclaim; Princess Red Wing, a passionate educator, storyteller, and Narragansett and Pokanoket activist; and the 1901 labor strike that stopped Rhode Island's urban core in its tracks.