To the Honorable the Delegates of the United Colonies now convened in General Congress in Philadelphia.

We the General Assembly of the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, beg Leave to represent to you the State & Condition of said Colony, & to request such Assistance as our Situation and the Welfare of the United Colonies shall appear to require.

Soon after the Conclusion of the late glorious War in the Success of which the Colonies had so considerable a Share, we were alarmed with divers Acts of the British Parliament, strongly indicating a Design to divest the Colonies of those Rights which are essential to the Freedom of a People, and which they had enjoyed with but few Innovations from their first Settlement. The Stamp Act passed in 1765 for levying Stamp Duties in America, and many subsequent Acts manifested that Design so clearly as to leave no Room for a Doubt. This Colony ever tenacious of its Liberties zealously took a Part in all the Common Measures entered into for the Common Safety; when at Length the Ministerial Troops by the Attack at Lexington & Concord had [re]ducd us to the Necessity of immediately taking up Arms, or submitting to a Slavery, which at the Distance we are placed from the Seat of the Power to be exercised over us, must be the most absolute & terrible that we can form an Idea of ー this Colony notwithstanding its exposed Situation did not hesitate, it did not wait for the Example of more powerful Colonies, but conforming itself to the Spirit of the Resolutions of the Honble the Continental Congress for 1774 ordered a Body of Men to be raised & marched to the Encampment near Boston.

Unfortunately for the Inhabitants, this Colony is scarc[e]ly any Thing but a Line of Sea Coast. From Providence to Point Judith, & from thence to Pa[wca]tuck River is near 80 Miles. On the East Side of the Bay from Providence to Seconet Point, and including the East Side of Seconet until it meets the Massachusetts Line is about 50 Miles. Besides which are the navigable Rivers of Pawcatuck & Warren. On the West Side of the Bay the Colony doth not extend 20 Miles, & on the East Side not more than 8 Miles from the Sea Coast above described. In the Colony are also included the following Islands. Rhode Island about 16 Miles in Length, Conanicut 9 Block Island 9 Prudence 7 and the smaller Islands Patience, Hope, Gold Island and several others; all which are cultivated & fertile, and contributed largely to the public Expences. The greater Part of the above mentioned Shores are accessible to Ships of War. By an exact Estimate taken in the Year 1774 the whole Number of Inhabitants in the Colony amounted to 59,678. The Town of New Port contained 9209 was the principal Place of Trade and paid one sixth Part of the public Taxes. A very considerable Commerce was also carried on from Providence, and several small Towns in the Colony were also concerned in Trade and Navigation. Ship Building was a great Branch of Business. In short the Inhabitants of the Colony derived their Subsistance almost wholly from Commerce. The convenient Situation of this Colony for receiving Supplies from the other Colonies for the Continental Army near Boston, we suppose [was] a principal Reason why so great a Number of the Kings Ships have been stationed in our Bay, we having had for above 7 Months past 2 Ships of 20 Guns 1 of 16 a Bomb Ketch & about 8 Tenders who have made Prizes of more Vessels belonging to this Colony than have been lost by any other, have put almost a total End to Commerce, have committed repreated Depredations in different Parts of the Colony, have kept our Coasts constantly alarmed, and obliged the Inhabitants to keep almost continually under Arms. The once flourishing Town of New Port by the Loss of Trade & consequent Cessation of all Business, instead of being able to contribute to the Expences of the War, hath been reduced to so deplorable a State that we have been obliged to grant Money out of the general Treasury for the Support of their Poor; and many of the wealthy Inhabitants have not only left the Town, but the Colony ー Conanicut and Prudence lately the Scenes of the most wanton and savage Desolation & Barbarity are deserted. New Shoreham from its Situation is rendered worse than useless to the Colony, and the other Islands will no longer be of Service to any but the Enemy.

The Troops sent by this Colony to the Army near Boston amounted to about 1700 inclusive of Officers, of which 250 are in Col. Arnold's Detachment in Quebec. Many have entered on Board the armed Vessels fitted out by Genl Washington, particularly almost every Officer & Seaman in the Brig commanded by Captn [Sion] Martindale unfortunately taken & carried into Boston belonged to this Colony; and the others the greatest Part by far have reinlisted into the Continental Service, so that very few of them have returned or can return. We fitted out two armed Vessels for the Protection of our Commerce and Coasts which carried upwards of 100 Men, one of which is no at Philada in the Continental Service with the greater Part of her Crew. Above an 100 Men have also been inlisted for the Continental Navy. We have also built & equipped two Row Gallies to carry 50 Men each. Besides these extraordinary Exertions we were alarmed in October last with the Arrival of a Number of Transports from Boston destined to procure fresh Provisions for the ministerial Army. To prevent their obtaining Supplies was an Object of such great Importance as oblidged us to send a Number of Minute Men upon the several Islands to defend the Stock, which created a most enormous Expence. when the Assembly met in November a Regiment of 500 Men was ordered to be raised for the Defence of Rhode Island and the other Islands, notwithstanding which we have been obliged repeatedly to call forth our Minute Men. To prevent the great Charge of which we have augmented the Regiment ordered to be raised in Novr to 750 Men exclusive of a Company of Artillery consisting of 105 Men with three Officers; and have also voted another Regiment of 750 Men to be immediately raised & equipped besides 238 Artillery Men for the Management of 34 Field Pieces ordered to be procured & placed in the several Towns upon the Sea Coast. We have ordered 60 Cannon 18 & 12 Pounders to be cast, & have already sent a Vessel with a very valuable Cargo to purchase Powder & other warlike Stores, & are fitting out another which will soon sail.

From the above Representation of our Situation, Exertions & Losses & the Depredations of the Enemy, which are not exaggerated, the exhausted State of the Colony, and its utter Inability to maintain the present Force established & voted, as well as to take any further Measures to defend itself, will clearly appear. We [need] not observe to you the great Importance of Rhode Island, or the Damages that would be sustained by the Enemy's possessing themselves thereof, its Harbour & the adjoining Narraganset Bay being greatly superior to any others in America, & its convenient Situation with Respect to the Sea & the other Colonies making it still more important. We therefore request that you will give the earliest Attention to this Address, and have no Doubt that you will take the proper Measures for defending the Colony, otherwise Rhode Island, & the other Islands in the Bay with the surrounding Sea Coast upon the Continent must be depopulated & the Colony entirely ruined.

We submit the foregoing to your judicious Determination, & are with great Respect & Confidence, your Honours' most Obedt & most hble Servants ー

Signed at the Request & in Behalf of the Genl Assembly

Providence Jany 15th 1776.