No. Apart from the fact that there weren't any states in 1776, Rhode Island had banned it in 1652. First colony to do so. Also, at the time, the biggest importer of slaves. There's a bit of history trivia for you.
States, Colonies, they are still the same people and the same land, so the distinction is just a distraction. Also I find sources that dispute your claim that slavery was banned in Rhode Island.
http://slavenorth.com/rhodeisland.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Rhode_Island#Slavery
In February 1784 the Legislature passed a compromise measure for gradual emancipation. All children of slaves born after March 1 were to be "apprentices," the girls to become free at 18, the boys at 21. As with other Northern instances of gradual emancipation, this gave slaveowners many years of service to recoup the cost of raising the children.No slaves were emancipated outright. The 1800 census listed 384 slaves, and the number fell gradually to 5 in 1840, after which slaves were no longer counted in the censuses for the state. And, in an essential element of the 1784 compromise, the right of Rhode Island ship-owners to participate in the foreign slave trade was undisturbed.
“No. Apart from the fact that there weren’t any states in 1776, Rhode Island had banned it in 1652. First colony to do so. Also, at the time, the biggest importer of slaves. There’s a bit of history trivia for you.”
Where did you get that? RI was a major slave holding and slave trade colony even up until 1840. In fact, per capita they held the number one spot for many years.
No, no, Rhode Island was a British colony until the Declaration of Independence in 1776.
Before that they were subject to British law, which allowed slavery in all colonies.
Yes, in 1652 a portion of Rhode Island, in the Narragansett Bay region did abolish chattel slavery of both whites and blacks.
The whole state of Rhode Island did not begin gradual abolition of slavery until 1782.
The 1840 census report showed on five slaves still living in Rhode Island.