The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations remains

A resounding “no” sounded over The Ocean State tonight as voters overwhelmingly shot down a ballot measure that would change the state’s name.

Rhode Island’s official name is The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. The name goes back to the 1640s when Roger Williams coined the term.

Proponents of the measure argued that the name was rooted in the slave trade, but voters clearly wanted to leave well enough alone.

Nearly 80 percent of the state voted against the measure, which would have amended the state’s constitution to change the name to simply “Rhode Island.”