Economics and Trade: Rhode Island concentrated in manufacture and focussed more on industries like ship building and the manufacture and export of rum. Rhode Island trade and industries included whale products, furs, maple, syrup, copper, fish shipbuilding, timber products, and cooper.
In towns along the coast, the colonists made most of their living fishing, whaling, and shipbuilding. Whale oil was a very valuable resource because it could be used in lamps.
Farming was difficult for crops like wheat because of the poor soil but corn, pumpkins, rye, squash and beans were planted.