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2008 -- S 2784 | |
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LC02417 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
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JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2008 | |
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J O I N T R E S O L U T I O N | |
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CELEBRATING THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF NATIONAL SIGNIFICANCE MADE BY JOHN | |
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CLARKE AND THE RHODE ISLAND KING CHARLES CHARTER OF 1663 TO THE | |
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COLONY AND STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
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Introduced By: Senators Paiva-Weed, Gibbs, and C Levesque | |
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Date Introduced: March 04, 2008 | |
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Referred To: Placed on the Senate Consent Calendar | |
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WHEREAS, John Clarke joined with Roger Williams and several other religious |
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dissidents to explore and settle the island of Aquidneck in peace with Wampanoag and |
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Narragansett Indians; and |
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WHEREAS, John Clarke completed a commission to author the Rhode Island Charter of |
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1663 and successfully negotiated that Charter with King Charles II, the reluctant king of England; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, The Rhode Island Charter of 1663 established unheard of rights including |
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separation of church and state, religious liberty, and reversed a land grab by John Winthrop Jr. for |
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the Colony of Connecticut. By proving that such liberties were possible, the Rhode Island |
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Charter of 1663 ignited the flames of democracy in America; and |
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WHEREAS, News of freedoms granted by the Charter of 1663 quickly spread throughout |
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Western Europe where it attracted those who were dispossessed and persecuted. The resulting |
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influx created a legacy of exceptional art, architecture, craft, and writing for the Colony and State |
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of Rhode Island, a legacy that continues to enrich the world; and |
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WHEREAS, Upon his decease, John Clarke established America’s oldest active |
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testamentary trust bequeathing his extensive lands to the care of widows and children’s education |
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“from time to time – forever”. The John Clarke trust currently distributes 90 educational |
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scholarships per year to Rhode Island children; now, therefore be it |
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RESOLVED, That this General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence |
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Plantations hereby deems that the works of John Clarke and the Rhode Island Charter of 1663 are |
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of immeasurable benefit to the citizens and State of Rhode Island, and therefore proclaims the |
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first Monday in the month of October be annually celebrated as “John Clarke Day”; and be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and he hereby is authorized and directed to |
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transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to the John Clarke Society. |
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LC02417 | |
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