Rhode Island Newport Becomes a City, 1784 Official Act, Signed and Sealed[RHODE ISLAND.] An Act to incorporate the Town of Newport into a City, in Acts passed by the General Assembly of Rhode Island, May 1784. Printed Document Signed by Henry Ward, Secretary. 38 pp., 7.375" x 12.125". With embossed paper over wax seal on first page; several pages separated; some foxing; good.Excerpts: "Whereas it is indispensibly necessary that many Regulations should be made for the Preservation of the Peace and good Order of the Town of Newport, and for promoting the Interest and Prosperity thereof: And whereas, under the present Government of the said Town, it hath been found impracticable to devise, consider, deliberate and determine, upon all such Laws and Regulations as the Emergencies of the said Town may, from Time to Time, require:"Be it therefore Enacted by this General Assembly, and by the Authority thereof it is Enacted, That from and after the First Tuesday of June next, the Freemen of the Town of Newport, and residing in the said Town, shall be deemed, and they are hereby constituted and declared to be, a Body politic and corporate, in Fact and Name. And the said Town shall forever thereafter be called and known by the Name of the City of Newport...."Historical Background: In 1639, William Coddington and seven others founded Newport on Aquidneck Island. Many of them had been part of the settlement at Portsmouth, Rhode Island, with Anne Hutchinson and her followers. Newport soon became the largest of the four original settlements that together formed the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations in 1663. Religious toleration in Newport attracted Quakers and Jews to the city.The town grew to more than 9,000 inhabitants by 1774, but the British seized Newport in 1776 and held it until 1779, forcing many to flee. In 1780 and 1781, the French used Newport as a base of operations against the British. By the end of the Revolutionary War in 1783, the population of Newport had declined to fewer than 4,000. With this act, the Rhode Island General Assembly incorporated Newport as a city with a mayor and four aldermen. George Hazard won election as the first mayor in June 1784. Three years later, the General Assembly restored the town form of government to Newport, which did not become a city again until May 1853.This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.