🇺🇸 Rhode Island is the smallest state in the U.S.—just a bit larger than Los Angeles and 547 times smaller than Alaska! 🤯 So why does it even exist? Why wasn’t it absorbed by its bigger neighbors like Massachusetts or Connecticut? 🧐 It all started with a rebellious priest ⛪ who believed the government shouldn’t control the church. After being kicked out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, he bought land from Indigenous people 🤝 and founded Providence Plantations. Around the same time, other religious freedom seekers arrived and started their own settlements 🏘️ Together, they formed “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations,” a colony built on the idea of separating church and state 🗽That long name stayed all the way until 2020 📜—making it the longest official state name in America! Today, it's just “Rhode Island,” but its story is a powerful reminder of how even the smallest places can make a big impact 🌍

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