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Bristol is a town in Rhode Island and the county seat of Bristol County. Bristol, a deep water seaport, is named after Bristol, England.

Bristol gained national fame despite its small size as a result of having the oldest, continuous Independence Day celebrations in the United States, earning Bristol its nickname, "America's most patriotic town".

Bristol's diverse heritage is influenced by a strong Portuguese-American presence, mostly Azorean, and Italian-American. Major industries include boat building (and related marine industries), manufacturing and tourism[1]. The town's school system is united with neighboring Warren, Rhode Island.

The first battle of King Philip's War took place here in 1675; although Philip was eventually defeated, his Indian name, Metacom, is now the name of a main road in Bristol.

King Philip also made nearby Mount Hope (Montaup) his base of operations. "King Philip's Chair," a rocky ledge on the mountain, was a lookout site for enemy ships on Mount Hope Bay. After that war concluded, the town was settled in 1680 as part of the Plymouth Colony. It was sold for £1100 to four Boston investors by the names of Byfield, Walley, Oliver, and Burton. It remained a part of Massachusetts until the Crown transferred it to the Rhode Island Colony in 1747.

Crowded street scene prior to the parade. The town's unique red, white, and blue center line is also visible.

During the American Revolutionary War, the British Navy bombarded Bristol twice. On October 7, 1775, a group of ships led by Captain Wallace and the HMS Rose sailed into town and demanded provisions. When refused, Wallace shelled the town, causing some damage. The attack was stopped when Lt. Gov. William Bradford rowed out to the Rose to negotiate a cease-fire, but then a second attack took place on May 25, 1778. This time, 500 British and Hessian troops marched through the main street (now called Hope Street) and burnt 30 barracks and houses, taking some prisoners to Newport.

Bristol also is noted for having the oldest, continuous Independence Day celebrations in the United States. The first mention of this comes from July 1777, when a British officer noted sounds coming from across Narragansett Bay:

"This being the first anniversary of the Declaration of Independence of the Rebel Colonies, they ushered in the morning by firing 13 cannons, one for each colony, we suppose. At sunset, the rebel frigates fired another round of 13 guns, each one after the other. As the evening was very still and fine the echo of the guns down the Bay had a grand effect."

The annual celebrations were established in 1785 and continue today, organized by the Bristol Fourth of July Committee [2]. The festivities start over a month before the Fourth of July with the annual Bristol Blues Vintage Base Ball game, and end with 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."

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

Bristol is home to Roger Williams University, named for Rhode Island founder Roger Williams.

Bristol Harbor

Notable Inhabitants:

• Benjamin Bourne, lawyer, jurist, and politician
• John Saffin, best known for his A Brief and Candid Answer to Samuel Sewall's The Selling of Joseph (1700), over the issue of slavery.
• William Bradford (1729-1808), physician, lawyer, and United States Senator
• Ambrose Burnside, railroad executive, industrialist, politician, and Union general
• James De Wolf, slave trader and United States senator
• Nathanael Herreshoff, yacht designer & builder
• Ira Magaziner, chief Internet policy advisor to Clinton Administration
• Ethel Barrymore Colt, actor and lyricist
• Samuel P. Colt, entrepreneur, politician, lawyer, gentleman farmer & philanthropist
• Anthony Quinn, actor

Museums:

• Herreshoff Marine Museum
• Haffenreffer Museum of Anthroplogy
• Linden Place (1810)
• Blithewold Mansion, Gardens & Arboretum (1907)
• Coggeshall Farm Museum (c. 1790)
• Mount Hope Farm (1745)

Bristol is situated on 10.1 square miles (26 km²) of a peninsula (the smaller sub-peninsula on the west is called Poppasquash), with Narragansett Bay on its west and Mount Hope Bay on its east. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 20.6 square miles (53.4 km²), of which, 10.1 square miles (26.2 km²) of it is land and 10.5 square miles (27.2 km²) of it (50.99%) is water. Bristol's harbor is home to over 800 boat moorings in seven mooring fields.

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 22,469 people, 8,314 households, and 5,653 families residing in the town. The population density was 2,222.2 people per square mile (858.1/km²). There were 8,705 housing units at an average density of 860.9/sq mi (332.4/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.14% White, 1.29% Hispanic or Latino (of any race), 0.67% Asian, 0.62% Black or African American, 0.16% Native American, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.33% from other races, and 1.03% from two or more races.

There were 8,314 households out of which 28.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.8% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 26.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.99.

In the town the population was spread out with 19.6% under the age of 18, 13.8% from 18 to 24, 27.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 93.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,689, and the median income for a family was $54,656. Males had a median income of $37,587 versus $26,413 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,532. About 5.2% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.2% of those under age 18 and 10.8% of those age 65 or over.

Colt State Park

Mt. Hope Bridge

• Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum
• Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology
• Herreshoff Marine Museum
• Roger Williams University
• Roger Williams University School of Law
• Mount Hope Bridge
• Linden Place Home of the DeWolf's
• Gillary's Host of Punk Rock Wednesday
• Colt State Park

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Bristol (Rhode Island).

• Official Town Website
• Unofficial Home Page
• Bristol Phoenix, weekly community newspaper
• Destination Bristol, official tourism site
• Bristol Fourth of July Committee, official site
• Colt State Park
• Bristol Youth Soccer Association
• Bristol Blues Vintage Base Ball Club

• Bristol, Rhode Island is at coordinates 41°41′03″N 71°16′07″W / 41.6842, -71.268669Coordinates: 41°41′03″N 71°16′07″W / 41.6842, -71.268669

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