Although it's the smallest state in the U.S. Rhode Island has a lot to offer families looking to rent in the Ocean State. Whether you're looking at homes for rent in Providence or one of the more rural, seaside communities, the historical state is rich with beautiful landscapes, excellent universities, great hospitals and a diverse culture.

• Rhode Island was started as an alternative to the strictly puritanical Massachusetts Bay Colony to the north. After his banishment from Plymouth, Roger Williams helped form Rhode Island as a place for religious tolerance. His ideas are credited as the precursor to the First Amendment and freedom in the U.S. The state name is still "The State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations."
• The small state continued its historical significance after the Revolutionary War when Samuel Slater created the first cotton mill in the U.S. which led to the Industrial Revolution. Although nicknamed the Ocean State, Rhode Island's many rivers led to economic prosperity during the Industrial Revolution in several industries.
• Most Rhode Islanders can probably ride their bikes across the state. At 37 miles across and 48 miles from north to south, the 1,214-square-mile state is the nation's smallest.
• The first African-American regiment fought in Rhode Island during the Battle of Rhode Island during the Revolutionary War.

Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to become a state as well as sign the Constitution. It was, however, the first place in the U.S. to have a circus, an open golf tournament and a polo match.