History of New England New England is defined as the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. New England remained distinct from the other states in terms of politics, often going against the grain of the rest of the country. Massachusetts and Connecticut were among the last refuges of the Federalist Party, and New England became the strongest bastion of the new Whig Party when the Second Party System began in the 1830s. Leading statesmen hailed from the region, including conservative Whig orator Daniel Webster. New England proved to be the center of the strongest abolitionist sentiment in the country,
Rhode Island Line Battle of The Cedars. Half of Sherburne's Regiment was drawn from Rhode Island and half from Connecticut. Still other Continental infantry regiments and smaller units, also unrelated to a state quota, were raised as needed for special or temporary service. On April 23, 1775, the Massachusetts Provincial Congress voted to raise a volunteer force of 13,600 men, and it called upon the other New England colonies for assistance in raising an army of 30,000 men. In response, the Rhode Island Assembly voted, on May 6, 1775, to contribute 1,500 men to this army. The Rhode Island troops were formed into