Rhode Island was the first American colony to renounce allegiance to Britain, a milestone recalled in America250 history.
On May 4, 1776, Rhode Island’s legislature formally declared that the colony was no longer bound by its allegiance to King George III. This occurred two months before the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence and helped establish the political direction that led to national independence.
Rhode Island had already taken an unusually strong position against British authority. Its legislature had instructed the colony’s delegates to support independence, and the colony’s maritime economy had helped make resistance to British trade restrictions especially significant.
The wording matters. Rhode Island was first to renounce allegiance, but it was not the first place where resistance began, and the Continental Congress later issued the collective declaration for the thirteen colonies. This distinction separates a colony-level action from the formal national declaration adopted in July 1776.