Speaker_of_the_House_of_Delegates_of_Rhode_Island

List of speakers of the Rhode Island House of Representatives

List of speakers of the Rhode Island House of Representatives

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The speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives is the highest official in the Rhode Island House of Representatives.

Quick Facts Speaker of the Rhode Island House of Representatives, Status ...

History

From 1663 until 1842, Rhode Island's governing state constitution was its original colonial charter granted by King Charles II of England, a political anomaly considering that while most states during the War of Independence and afterwards wrote scores of new constitutions with their newly found independence in mind, Rhode Island instead continued with a document stamped by an English king. By the 1840s, Rhode Island was the only state whose official legal document was passed by a foreign monarch and the document essentially restricted voting rights to a very small population of elite, rural, landowning native-born white males.[1]

In September 1842, a Constitutional Convention was held at the Colony House in Newport to confront the issue of expanding suffrage.[1] When the constitution was put to a public vote in November 1842, voters rejected that voting rights should be restricted to whites only by a three to one margin, thus making Rhode Island the first state to grant suffrage to African-Americans.[1] The new constitution was ratified and the constitution became effective in May 1843.[2]

Selection

The Speaker of the House presides over the House of Representatives. The Speaker is elected by the majority party caucus followed by confirmation of the full House through the passage of a House Resolution. As well as presiding over the body, the Speaker is also the chief leadership position, and controls the flow of legislation.[3]

List of speakers

Colonial period[lower-alpha 1]

More information Speaker, Took office ...

Revolutionary War to Present[3][5]

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See also

References

Notes
  1. Prior to 1696, the House of Deputies was organized by the election of the Governor or Deputy Governor as moderator of the body, with the Governor often performing the duties. A speaker was first chosen in 1696 and the title of "Deputies" was changed to "Representatives" in June 1797.[3]
Sources
  1. [1]
    Erik J. Chaput and Russell J. DeSimone (16 September 2017). "My Turn: Erik J. Chaput and Russell J. DeSimone: How Rhode Island expanded black rights". Providence, RI: The Providence Journal. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
  2. [2]
    Rhode Island 1663 charter (accessed August 20, 2010)
  3. [3]
    Manual with Rules and Orders for the Use of the General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island. Providence Press Company. 1873. pp. 105–109. Retrieved 20 December 2023.
  4. [4]
    Bernstein, Richard B. (2009). "Appendix: The Founding Fathers, A Partial List". The Founding Fathers Reconsidered. New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 176–180. ISBN 978-0199832576.
  5. [5]
    Sharp, Nancy Weatherly; Sharp, James Roger (August 30, 2000). American Legislative Leaders in the Northeast, 1911-1994. Bloomsbury Academic. ISBN 9780313032080 – via Google Books.
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