RI Route 136). Bristol was a town of

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

until the

Crown A crown is a traditional form of head adornment, or hat, worn by monarchs as a symbol of their power and dignity. A crown is often, by extension, a symbol of the monarch's government or items endorsed by it. The word itself is used, parti ...

transferred it to the Rhode Island Colony in 1747.

Slave trade and the DeWolf family

The DeWolf family was among the earliest settlers of Bristol. Bristol and Rhode Island became a center of slave trading, from which it derived much of its wealth. James DeWolf, a leading slave trader, later became a

United States Senator The United States Senate consists of 100 members, two from each of the 50 U.S. state, states. This list includes all senators serving in the 119th United States Congress. Party affiliation Independent Senators Angus King of Maine and Berni ...

from Rhode Island. Beginning in 1769 and continuing until 1820 (over a decade after the slave trade was outlawed in the Atlantic), the DeWolf family trafficked people out of West Africa, enslaving them and bringing them to work on DeWolf-owned plantations, or selling them to be auctioned at ports in places such as

Havana Havana (; ) is the capital and largest city of Cuba. The heart of La Habana Province, Havana is the country's main port and commercial center.Cuba Cuba, officially the Republic of Cuba, is an island country, comprising the island of Cuba (largest island), Isla de la Juventud, and List of islands of Cuba, 4,195 islands, islets and cays surrounding the main island. It is located where the ...

and Charleston,

South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...

. Sugar and molasses from slave plantations in Cuba would be brought to Rhode Island to DeWolf-owned distilleries. By the end of 1820, the DeWolf family had trafficked and enslaved over 10,000 Africans. James DeWolf died as the second wealthiest person in the United States.

Quakers Quakers are people who belong to the Religious Society of Friends, a historically Protestantism, Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations. Members refer to each other as Friends after in the Bible, and originally ...

from Rhode Island were involved early in the abolition movement, although abolition was a divisive issue among Quakers, resulting in the creation of new Quaker groups. The DeWolf family, as well as Bristol's and the northern United States' participation in slavery, are featured in the 2008 documentary '' Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North'', in the 2008 companion memoir ''Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-Trading Dynasty in U.S. History'' by Thomas Norman DeWolf, and the 2014 historical study ''James DeWolf and the Rhode Island Slave Trade'' by Cynthia Mestad Johnson.

American Revolution

During the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

, the British

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

bombarded Bristol twice. On October 7, 1775, a group of ships led by

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Wallace and sailed into town and demanded provisions. When refused, Wallace shelled the town, causing much damage. The attack was stopped when

Lieutenant Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

William Bradford rowed out to ''Rose'' to negotiate a cease-fire, but then a second attack took place on May 25, 1778. This time, 500

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

and Hessian troops marched through the main street (now called Hope Street (RI Route 114)) and burnt 30 barracks and houses, taking some prisoners to Newport.

New Goree

Starting in at least in 1805, a community of free Blacks known as "New Goree" existed along the northern portion of Wood Street in the 19th century from Bayview Avenue to Union Street. This community disappeared by 1900. An African Methodist Episcopal church stood at 417 Wood Street, but was razed by 1898; the Bristol Sports Club currently stands on that lot. Two modest homes on Wood Street were identified in 2023 as being New Goree homes. Researchers speculate that the construction of a

United States Rubber Company Uniroyal, formerly known as the United States Rubber Company, is an American manufacturer of tires and other synthetic rubber-related products, as well as variety of items for military use, such as ammunition, explosives, chemical weapons and op ...

plant on Wood Street in 1864 may have played a role in the neighborhood's demise.

Other history and current day

Until 1854, Bristol was one of the five state capitals of Rhode Island. Bristol is home to

Roger Williams University Roger Williams University (RWU) is a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1956, it was named for theologian and Rhode Island cofounder Roger Williams. The school enrolled approximately 4,400 undergraduate and ...

, named for Rhode Island founder

Roger Williams Roger Williams (March 1683) was an English-born New England minister, theologian, author, and founder of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Pl ...

. The southerly terminus of the East Bay Bike Path is located at Independence Park on Bristol Harbor. The bike path continues north to India Point Park in Providence, R.I., mostly constructed following an abandoned railroad right of way. Some of the best views of Narragansett Bay can be seen along this corridor. The construction of the East Bay Bike Path was highly contested by Bristol residents before construction because of the potential of crime, but it has become a welcome asset to the community and the anticipated crime was non-existent. The Bristol-based Herreshoff boat company built five consecutive

America's Cup The America's Cup is a sailing competition and the oldest international competition still operating in any sport. America's Cup match races are held between two sailing yachts: one from the yacht club that currently holds the trophy (known ...

Defenders between 1893 and 1920. The Colt Estate, now known as Colt State Park, was home to Samuel P. Colt, nephew of the man famous for the arms company, and founder of the United States Rubber Company, later called Uniroyal and the largest rubber company in the nation. Colt State Park lies on manicured gardens abutting the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, and is popular for its views of the waterfront and sunsets. Bristol is the site of the

National Historic Landmark A National Historic Landmark (NHL) is a National Register of Historic Places property types, building, district, object, site, or structure that is officially recognized by the Federal government of the United States, United States government f ...

Joseph Reynolds House The Joseph Reynolds House (also known as Willowmere) is a historic house at 956 Hope Street ( RI 114) in Bristol, Rhode Island, United States, built c. 1698–1700. The three-story wood-frame house is one of the oldest buildings in Bristol and ...

built in 1700. The

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

and his staff used the building as headquarters in 1778 during the Battle of Rhode Island.

Fourth of July parade

Bristol has the oldest continuously celebrated

Independence Day An independence day is an annual event memorialization, commemorating the anniversary of a nation's independence or Sovereign state, statehood, usually after ceasing to be a group or part of another nation or state, or after the end of a milit ...

festivities in the United States. The first mention of a celebration comes from July 1777, when a British officer noted sounds coming from across

Narragansett Bay Narragansett Bay is a bay and estuary on the north side of Rhode Island Sound covering , of which is in Rhode Island. The bay forms New England's largest estuary, which functions as an expansive natural harbor and includes a small archipelago. S ...

: The annual official and historic celebrations (Patriotic Exercises) were established in 1785 by Rev. Henry Wight of the First Congregational Church and veteran of the Revolutionary War, and later by Rev. Wight as the Parade, and continue today, organized by the Bristol

Fourth of July Independence Day, known colloquially as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States which commemorates the ratification of the Declaration of Independence by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing th ...

Committee. The festivities officially start on June 14,

Flag Day A flag day is a flag-related holiday, a day designated for flying a certain flag (such as a national flag) or a day set aside to celebrate a historical event such as a nation's adoption of its flag. Flag days are usually codified in national s ...

, beginning a period of outdoor concerts, soapbox car races and a firefighters' muster at Independence Park. The celebration climaxes on July 4 with the oldest annual parade in the United States, "The Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade", an event that draws over 200,000 people from Rhode Island and around the world. These elaborate celebrations give Bristol its nickname, "America's most patriotic town". Bristol is represented in the parade with hometown groups like the Bristol Train of Artillery and the Bristol County Fifes and Drums.

Geography

Bristol is situated on of a

peninsula A peninsula is a landform that extends from a mainland and is only connected to land on one side. Peninsulas exist on each continent. The largest peninsula in the world is the Arabian Peninsula. Etymology The word ''peninsula'' derives , . T ...

(the smaller sub-peninsula on the west is called Poppasquash), with

on its west and Mount Hope Bay on its east. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²), of which 10.1 square miles (26.2 km²) is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²) (50.99%) is water. Bristol's harbor is home to over 800 boat moorings in seven mooring fields.

Climate

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2020, there were 22,493 people and 8,480 households in the town. The population density was . There were 9,629 housing units in the town. The ethnic group makeup of the town was 91.18%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 1.89%

Black Black is a color that results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without chroma, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness.Eva Heller, ''P ...

, 0.31% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.00%

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 1.02% other ethnic group, and 4.56% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 4.26% of the population. There were 8,480 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 25.5% had a female householder with no spouse present and 21.1% had a male householder with no spouse present. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91. In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.3% under the age of 18, 17.9% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. The median income for a household in the town was $96,005, and the median income for a family was $123,929. The per capita income for the town was $50,147. About 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

Government

In the

Rhode Island Senate The Rhode Island Senate is the upper house of the Rhode Island General Assembly, the state legislature of the U.S. state of Rhode Island, the lower house being the Rhode Island House of Representatives. It is composed of 38 Senators, each of w ...

, Bristol is split into three senatorial districts, all Democratic: * District 10: Walter S. Felag, Jr. * District 11: Linda Ujifusa * District 32: Pamela Lauria At the federal level, Bristol is a part of Rhode Island's 1st congressional district and is currently represented by Democrat

Gabe Amo Gabriel Felix Kofi Amo ( ; born December 11, 1987) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2023. Before running for Congress, Amo worked in the Biden administration as the deputy director of the White House Offic ...

. In presidential elections, Bristol is a Democratic stronghold, as no Republican presidential nominee has won the town since prior to the 1988 election.

Points of interest and Registered Historic Places

File:Bristol (Rhode Island) Town Common.jpg, Bristol Town Common File:Burnside Memorial Building and Civil War Memorial.jpg, Ambrose Burnside Memorial File:Bristol (Rhode Island) State House.jpg, The Bristol County Statehouse/Courthouse File:A stone bridge in Colt State Park.jpg, Colt State Park File:MtHopeBridge.jpg, Mt. Hope Bridge *

America's Cup Hall of Fame The America's Cup Hall of Fame, located at the Herreshoff Marine Museum of Bristol, Rhode Island, USA, honors individuals for outstanding achievement in the America's Cup sailing competition. Candidates eligible for consideration include skippers ...

Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum The Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum is an arboretum of , located at 101 Ferry Road, Bristol, Rhode Island, midway between Newport, Rhode Island, Newport and Providence, Rhode Island, on Bristol Harbor with views over Narragansett Bay. ...

* Bristol Art Museum *

Bristol County Courthouse (Rhode Island) The Bristol County Courthouse (or Bristol Statehouse) is an historic courthouse on High Street in Bristol, Rhode Island, USA built in 1816. It was originally one of five locations in Rhode Island which hosted the state legislature on a rotating b ...

* Bristol County Jail * Bristol Customshouse and Post Office * Bristol Ferry Lighthouse * Bristol Waterfront Historic District * Coggeshall Farm MuseumCoggeshall Farm Museum
/ref> () * Colt State Park * Juniper Hill Cemetery *

Herreshoff Marine Museum The Herreshoff Marine Museum is a maritime museum in Bristol, Rhode Island dedicated to the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, yachting, and America's Cup. The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company (1878–1945) was most notable for pr ...

* Linden Place, home of the DeWolfs, Colts * Longfield (Charles Dana Gibson house) * Mount Hope Bridge * Mount Hope Farm * Poppasquash Farms Historic District *

Roger Williams University School of Law Roger Williams University School of Law is the law school of Roger Williams University, a private university in Bristol, Rhode Island. It is the only law school in Rhode Island. It was established in 1993 as the first graduate degree program of R ...

Notable people

* William Thomas "Billy" Andrade, golfer with the

PGA Tour The PGA Tour (stylized as PGA TOUR by its officials) is the organizer of professional golf tours in North America. It organizes most of the events on the flagship annual series of tournaments also known as the PGA Tour, the PGA Tour Champion ...

; born in Bristol * Ethel Barrymore Colt, silent film and stage actress; member of the influential

Barrymore family The Barrymore family, and the related Drew family, form a British–American acting dynasty that traces its acting roots to the mid-19th-century London stage. After migrating across the Atlantic Ocean to the United States, members of the family ...

* Benjamin Bourne, US congressman and federal judge; born in Bristol * William Bradford (1729–1808), physician, lawyer, and President pro tempore of the US Senate; lived and died in Bristol * Jonathan Russell Bullock, federal and

Rhode Island Supreme Court The Rhode Island Supreme Court is the Supreme court, court of last resort in the U.S. State of Rhode Island. The Court consists of a Chief Justice and four Associate Justices, all selected by the Governor of Rhode Island from candidates vetted by ...

judge; born in Bristol *

Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everts Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the American Civil War and a three-time Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successfu ...

, railroad executive, US senator, 30th governor of Rhode Island, and Union Army general; lived and died in Bristol * Sean Callery, Emmy-winning composer, raised in Bristol * Mary Cantwell, journalist, magazine editor, author and member of ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' editorial board; grew up in Bristol * Mary H. Gray Clarke (born 1835), correspondent * Samuel P. Colt, entrepreneur, child labor advocate, and Rhode Island state representative; lived in Bristol * Mark Anthony DeWolf (1726–1793) was the fourth child of Charles DeWolf, the only one who returned to America. He became the patriarch of the Bristol branch of the DeWolf family; he was a merchant and slave trader. * James DeWolf (1764–1837), son of Mark Anthony DeWolf. He was one of the richest men of his time, making the majority of his fortune in the

slave trade Slave trade may refer to: * History of slavery - overview of slavery It may also refer to slave trades in specific countries, areas: * Al-Andalus slave trade * Atlantic slave trade ** Brazilian slave trade ** Bristol slave trade ** Danish sl ...

. * Jonathan DeFelice, president of

Saint Anselm College Saint Anselm College is a private Benedictine liberal arts college in Goffstown, New Hampshire, United States. Founded in 1889, it is named after Saint Anselm of Canterbury. As of 2024, the college's enrollment was 2,094 students. History ...

; lived in Bristol * Rebecca Donovan, novelist * Nancy Dubuc, businesswoman * Ramon Guiteras, surgeon and urologist, born and buried in Bristol * Nathanael Herreshoff, naval architect and mechanical engineer, designed several undefeated

winners; born in Bristol * Gilbert C. Hoover, USN admiral involved in the nuclear bomb project * Edward L. Leahy, US senator and federal judge; born in Bristol * Ira Magaziner, senior adviser for policy development to the Clinton administration; Chairman of the

Clinton Foundation The Clinton Foundation (founded in 2001 as the William J. Clinton Presidential Foundation, and renamed in 2013 as the Bill, Hillary & Chelsea Clinton Foundation) is a nonprofit organization under section 501(c)(3) of the U.S. tax code. It was e ...

Policy Board; lives in Bristol * Pat McGee, musician ( Pat McGee Band) *

Anthony Quinn Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca (April 21, 1915 – June 3, 2001), known as Anthony Quinn, was an American actor. He was known for his portrayal of earthy, passionate characters "marked by a brutal and elemental virility" in over 100 ...

, actor ('' Zorba the Greek'', '' Lawrence of Arabia'', ''

Viva Zapata! ''Viva Zapata!'' is a 1952 American biographical Western film directed by Elia Kazan, dramatizing the life of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata from his peasant upbringing through his rise to power in the early 1900s and his death in 1919. I ...

'', '' Lust for Life''); twice won the

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It has been awarded since the 9th Academy Awards to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in ...

(1952, 1956); lived in Bristol. He loved his home so much that he requested, and was given permission by the town, to be buried on his property. * Norman Rene, theater and film director; born in Bristol * John Saffin, merchant and author (''A Brief and Candid Answer'' to Samuel Sewall's ''The Selling of Joseph'', 1700); lived in Bristol * Chris Santos, executive chef and owner of the Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex, judge on ''Chopped'' (Food Network TV), born in Bristol * Benjamin Franklin Tilley (1848–1907), U.S. Navy rear admiral and Naval Acting-Governor of American Samoa; born in Bristol

References

External links

Official Town Website

Destination Bristol
��official tourism site {{Authority control County seats in Rhode Island King Philip's War Populated coastal places in Rhode Island Portuguese-American culture in Rhode Island Providence metropolitan area Towns in Rhode Island 1680 establishments in Rhode Island

History

Early colonization