We love every square mile of Rhode Island but did you know that the smallest state in the U.S. almost became even tinier not so long ago? Back in the mid-1980s Block Island almost became its own state.
It's hard to imagine the Ocean State without all of its breathtaking beaches. Yet we almost lost some of our stunning shorelines in the 1980s when a town on Block Island threatened to secede from Rhode Island.
Block Island lies 13 miles south of mainland Rhode Island and encompasses a land area of 9.734. The town of New Shoreham is the only town on the island and is a popular place for tourists in the summertime.
New Shoreham is accessible by ferry, plane, and private boat. With only limited space on the ferry for cars, many tourists depend on renting bikes or mopeds to travel around the island once they arrive.
In 1984, New Shoreham threatened to secede from Rhode Island because of mopeds. The state had refused to give the town the authority to ban mopeds from the island and this angered many locals.
Concerns over the noise mopeds created, safety concerns with inexperienced drivers of mopeds, and the amount of time spent by first responders on the island dedicated to moped incidents were some of the reasons for wanting to ban mopeds on the island.
Both Connecticut and Massachusetts reportedly expressed interest in taking the town into their own jurisdictions rather than having the island attempt to become its own state.
In a special session of the legislature, Rhode Island passed a bill to allow New Shoreham to create its own moped ordinance. The threat of secession was snuffed out with this transfer of moped regulating power.
Today Block Island remains one of Rhode Island's gems. And the Nature Conservancy has added Block Island to its list of "The Last Great Places," which includes just 12 sites in the Western Hemisphere. Approximately 40 percent of the island is set aside for conservation preserving it in its natural state.
