Hello and welcome to a history of the United States.

Episode 89, Cranston and the Empire Cran of the United States. Episode 89.

Cranston and the Empire.

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it covers the topics we went through in episodes 1 through 60, and is a great refresher as we come

back to the northern colonies. In the last episode, we introduced Samuel Cranston into the narrative. Cranston was a hugely

influential figure in colonial America, and he would serve as governor of Rhode Island for 30 years.

Indeed, this would be the longest anyone would serve as governor of an American colony or state.

The first thing he had to deal with was Rhode Island's place in the wider imperial system.

While trying to design a system to secure the region, England looked to Massachusetts.

This made sense to the detached English, but it was something fiercely opposed by those

in Rhode Island. The mother country had done nothing to help during King Phillips War,

and now expected Rhode Island to provide troops to Massachusetts without anything provided to mitigate the cost, such as naval support.

Such a plan was politically impossible. It would arouse too much hostility to the government in Rhode Island,

and would appear to endanger the religious freedom they were so determined to keep.

It could also weaken Newport's attempt to become a commercial base. This was something we discussed

at length. Cranston did most of what was asked by imperial officials, but opposed any change to the government.

It was an extremely dangerous balancing act.

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