Rhode Island is a small state, smaller in size than some of our country’s counties and smaller in population than a host of cities. Yet it has a wonderful history all out of proportion to its small size. The Online Review of Rhode Island History (smallstatebighistory.com) has been formed to promote that history. We intend to offer a variety of articles intended for a popular audience, but with an eye for accuracy over legend. We hope to make the state’s history interesting and fun, and eventually create an impressive archive of articles for both readers and researchers. We want to publish articles on narrative history, but also want to cover newly-published books on Rhode Island history, as well as Rhode Island history sites, artifacts, architecture, and historic preservation.

573 Putnam Pike Greenville, RI 02828
Phone: 401-949-3630, Fax: 401-949-0530
TDD: 401-745-5555

380 Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA, 02452-6399
Toll Free Telephone: (866) 406-2379
Telephone: (781) 663-0144

Serves Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

2658 East Main Road, Portsmouth, RI, 02871
(401) 683-9457

Providence City Hall, 25 Dorrance Street Providence, RI 02903
401 421 7740

Library Address: 121 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island 02906
(401) 273-8107 x410

The Rhode Island Historical Society, believing that a sense of history is fundamental to understanding human experience, collects, preserves, and shares materials from Rhode Island’s past, so that present and future generations can comprehend more fully their predecessors, their communities, and themselves. Pursuing the highest standards of collection, preservation, presentation, and management, the Society encourages and assists people of all backgrounds and interests to learn more about Rhode Island’s varied history.

The Rhode Island Society (RISSAR) is the state affiliate of the National Society. The State Society was organized in Providence on February 1, 1890 and received a charter from the Rhode Island General Assembly in 1894.

The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution was organized on April 30, 1889 to “perpetuate the memory of those who, by their services or sacrifices during the war of the American Revolution, achieved the independence of the American people.” The Society's purposes are patriotic, historical and educational.

RI State society of the DAR with over 400 members who locally support our national society’s mission of promoting patriotism, education, and historic preservation since our state society was established in 1891

This web site has been designed for the purpose of honoring and preserving the memory of Roger Williams and promoting communication among his descendants.

The Sheldon Family Association was founded in 1939 by a group of Sheldon descendants, with the purpose of furthering interest in their heritage and preserving their family history.

The genealogical data with which the SFA began was originally collected by Reverend Henry O. Sheldon, a circuit preacher, as he rode from village to village in the 1800s. Rev. Sheldon documented five apparently unrelated Sheldon families dating back to Colonial times; SFA members are descendants of these five families. Over the years, this original “database” has been researched and continually updated, now containing over 70,000 names, including Sheldon spouse data.

The General Society of Colonial Wars is an historical, genealogical, educational and social organization with constituent societies in 30 states, including Rhode Island, as well as the District of Columbia and the British Isles. It was instituted to perpetuate the memory of those events in American colonial history which took place within the period May 13, 1607 to April 19, 1775.

The Rhode Island Society is one of the fifty-two Mayflower Society chapters that operate under the governance of The General Society of Mayflower Descendants. The General Society was organized in Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1897. There are 50 state societies, plus one in Washington D.C. and one in Canada. We are a membership organization. Membership is based on proof of descent from one or more of the passengers aboard the Mayflower, the ship that landed in Plymouth, New England, in December of 1620. A primary objective of the society is to honor the memory of these pilgrims. This small group overcame many hardships and worked together to establish what would prove to be the first permanent English settlement in New England.

Soule Kindred in America, Inc., is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the knowledge and understanding of American Colonial history, and the Pilgrims and their descendants, with special emphasis on George Soule.

2636 Kingstown Road, Kingston, RI 02881
(401) 783-1328

The South County History Center was originally founded as the Pettaquamscutt Historical Society in 1958 by a group of local residents interested in history and historic preservation. The Society drew its name from the 1658 Pettaquamscutt Purchase, in which settlers purchased 49 square miles from the Narragansett Sachems.

In 2015, the Society embarked on a comprehensive strategic planning process, possible thanks to generous support from the Rhode Island Foundation, in order adapt the Society’s strategies and practices to better meet the changing needs of our community. Through this community-focused effort, the Society developed a new vision for the future: to become a leading research and archival center dedicated to the preservation and promotion of South County’s rich and diverse history. To better represent this new vision, the Society began operating under a new name, the South County History Center, in May 2016.

In 1930, John P. Steere, Sr., founded the Steere Family Association to organize annual family reunions and to gather information on the family genealogy. In addition to updating and publishing genealogical information, the Association is active in the preservation of family cemeteries and other vital records.

All descendants of John Steere, their spouses, and extended families are welcome at the annual reunions, which feature fun, games, meals, and prizes, as well as business meetings, historical tours, and talks.

1043 Main St., West Warwick, RI 02893
Phone: (401) 828-3750