View source for Bristol, Rhode Island

{{Short description|Town in Rhode Island, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Bristol, Rhode Island
| settlement_type    = [[New England town|Town]]
| image_skyline      = Walley School, Bristol Rhode Island.jpg
| image_caption      = (L–R) Walley School (1896), First Baptist Church (1814), and [[Bristol County Courthouse (Rhode Island)|Bristol County Statehouse/Courthouse]] (1816) on the town common
| image_flag         = BristolRIflag.gif
| image_seal         = BristolRIseal.png
| image_blank_emblem = BristolRIlogo.png
| blank_emblem_type  = Logo
| image_map          = Bristol County Rhode Island incorporated and unincorporated areas Bristol highlighted.svg
| map_caption        = Location in [[Bristol County, Rhode Island|Bristol County]] and the state of [[Rhode Island]]
| subdivision_type   = [[List of sovereign states|Country]]
| subdivision_type1  = [[U.S. state|State]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of counties in Rhode Island|County]]
| subdivision_name   = {{USA}}
| subdivision_name1  = {{flag|Rhode Island}}
| subdivision_name2  = [[Bristol County, Rhode Island|Bristol]]
| government_type    = [[Mayor-council]]
| leader_title       = [[Town Administrator]]
| leader_name        = Steven Contente ([[Independent (United States)|I]])
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1680
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = October 28, 1681
| established_title3 = Annexed from Massachusetts
| established_date3  = January 27, 1747
| unit_pref          = Imperial
| area_total_km2     = 53.4
| area_land_km2      = 26.2
| area_water_km2     = 27.2
| area_total_sq_mi   = 20.6
| area_land_sq_mi    = 10.1
| area_water_sq_mi   = 10.5
| elevation_m        = 0–40
| elevation_ft       = 0–131
| coordinates        = {{Coord|41.67038|-71.27653|type:city(23000)_region:US-RI|display=inline,title}}
| population_as_of   = 2020
| population_total   = 22493
| population_density_km2 = 858.5
| timezone           = EST
| utc_offset         = −5
| timezone_DST       = EDT
| utc_offset_DST     = −4
| website            = {{official url}}
| postal_code_type   = ZIP Code
| postal_code        = 02809
| area_code          = 401
| blank_name         = FIPS code
| blank_info         = 44-09280<ref name="GR2">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=January 31, 2008 |title=U.S. Census website }}</ref>
| blank1_name        = GNIS feature ID
| blank1_info        = 1220083<ref name="GR3">{{cite web|url=http://geonames.usgs.gov|access-date=January 31, 2008|title=US Board on Geographic Names|publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |date=October 25, 2007}}</ref>
| blank_name_sec2    = Demonym
| blank_info_sec2    = Bristolian<ref>{{Cite web |last=MacKay |first=Scott |date=October 7, 2013 |title=Why I'll Never Call Myself a Bristolian |url=http://ripr.org/post/one-square-mile-why-ill-never-call-myself-bristolian |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140822042407/http://ripr.org/post/one-square-mile-why-ill-never-call-myself-bristolian |archive-date=August 22, 2014 |url-status=dead |department=One Square Mile (story series) |publisher=[[Rhode Island Public Radio]] |access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref> ("brihs-TOH-lee-an")
}}

'''Bristol''' is a town in [[Bristol County, Rhode Island]], United States, as well as the county seat.<ref name="GR6">{{Cite web |url=http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |access-date=June 7, 2011 |title=Find a County |publisher=[[National Association of Counties]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110531210815/http://www.naco.org/Counties/Pages/FindACounty.aspx |archive-date=May 31, 2011 }}</ref> The population of Bristol was 22,493 at the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].  It is a deep water seaport named after [[Bristol]], England. Major industries include boat building and related marine industries, manufacturing, and tourism. The Bristol Warren Regional School District manages the unified school system for Bristol and the neighboring town of [[Warren, Rhode Island|Warren]].<ref>{{cite web |title=About Us |publisher=Bristol Warren Regional School District |url=https://www.bwrsd.org/about-us1 |access-date=2024-06-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601104813/https://www.bwrsd.org/about-us1 |archive-date=2024-06-01 |url-status=live}}</ref> Prominent communities include [[Portuguese-American]]s, mostly [[Azorean]]s, and [[Italian-American]]s.

== History ==

=== Early colonization ===

Before the [[Pilgrim Fathers|Pilgrims]] arrived in 1620, the [[Pokanokets]] occupied much of Southern New England, including [[Plymouth Colony|Plymouth]]. They had previously suffered from a series of plagues which killed off large segments of their population, and their leader, the [[Massasoit]] Osamequin, befriended the early settlers.<ref name="bristol300">{{cite book|title=Bristol: Three Hundred Years|author1=Susan Cirillo|author2=Lombard John Pozzi|location=Providence, Rhode Island|date=1980|publisher=Franklin Graphics|oclc=6811058}}</ref>{{rp|10}} [[King Philip's War]] was a conflict between the Plymouth settlers and the Pokanokets and allied tribes, and it began in the neighboring area of [[Swansea, Massachusetts]]. Metacomet made nearby [[Mount Hope (Rhode Island)|Mount Hope]] (a corruption of the Pokanoket word ''Montaup'') his base of operations; he died following an ambush by [[Captain Benjamin Church]] on August 12, 1676.<ref name="bristol300"/>{{rp|11}} "Massasoit's Seat" is a rocky ledge on the mountain which was a lookout site for enemy ships on Mount Hope Bay.

After the war concluded, four Boston merchants{{snd}}Stephen Burton, [[Nathaniel Byfield]], Nathaniel Oliver, and John Walley{{snd}}purchased a tract of land known as "Mount Hope Neck and Poppasquash Neck" as part of the [[Plymouth Colony]].<ref>{{Cite book |first1=Elizabeth Sargent |last1= Warren |author2=Pamela A. Kennedy |year=1990 |title=Historic and Architectural Resources of Bristol, Rhode Island |url=http://www.preservation.ri.gov/pdfs_zips_downloads/survey_pdfs/bristol.pdf |location=Providence, RI |publisher=[[Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission|Rhode Island Historical Preservation Commission]] |page=7 |oclc=23833645 |access-date=August 9, 2021}}</ref> Other settlers included John Gorham and [[Richard Smith (settler)|Richard Smith]]. A variant of the [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Indian]] name [[Metacomet]] is now the name of a main road in Bristol: Metacom Avenue ([[Rhode Island Route 136|RI Route 136]]).<ref name="bristol300"/>{{rp|11}} Bristol was a town of [[Massachusetts]] until the [[The Crown|Crown]] transferred it to the Rhode Island Colony in 1747.<ref name="bristol300"/>{{rp|11}}

=== Slave trade and the DeWolf family ===
The [[DeWolf family]] was among the earliest settlers of Bristol. Bristol and Rhode Island became a center of [[Atlantic slave trade|slave trading]], from which it derived much of its wealth. [[James DeWolf]], a leading slave trader, later became a [[United States Senate|United States Senator]] from Rhode Island. Beginning in 1769 and continuing until 1820 (over a decade after the slave trade was outlawed in the Atlantic), the DeWolf family trafficked people out of West Africa, enslaving them and bringing them to work on DeWolf-owned plantations, or selling them to be auctioned at ports in places such as [[Havana]], [[Cuba]] and [[Charleston, South Carolina|Charleston]], [[South Carolina]]. Sugar and molasses from slave plantations in Cuba would be brought to Rhode Island to DeWolf-owned distilleries. By the end of 1820, the DeWolf family had trafficked and enslaved over 10,000 Africans. James DeWolf died as the second wealthiest person in the United States.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Synopsis |url=http://www.tracesofthetrade.org/synopsis/ |date=June 14, 2008 |publisher=Traces of the Trade |language=en-US |access-date=April 29, 2020}}</ref>

[[Quakers]] from Rhode Island were involved early in the abolition movement, although abolition was a divisive issue among Quakers, resulting in the creation of new Quaker groups.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Faulkner |first=Carol |date=2011 |title=Lucretia Mott's Heresy: Abolition and Women's Rights in Nineteenth-Century America |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HOvvDbNNfbkC&pg=PA35 |location=Philadelphia |publisher=University of Pennsylvania Press |isbn=978-0-8122-0500-8 |oclc=844843687 |language=en}}</ref> The DeWolf family, as well as Bristol's and the northern United States' participation in slavery, are featured in the 2008 documentary ''[[Traces of the Trade: A Story from the Deep North]]'', in the 2008 companion memoir ''Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-Trading Dynasty in U.S. History'' by Thomas Norman DeWolf,<ref>{{Cite book |last=DeWolf |first=Thomas Norman |year=2008 |title=Inheriting the Trade: A Northern Family Confronts Its Legacy as the Largest Slave-Trading Dynasty in U.S. History |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8EFXoPQaD7YC |location=Boston |publisher=Beacon Press |isbn=9780807072813 |oclc=134989752 |access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref> and the 2014 historical study ''James DeWolf and the Rhode Island Slave Trade'' by Cynthia Mestad Johnson.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Johnson |first=Cynthia Mestad |year=2014 |title=James DeWolf and the Rhode Island Slave Trade |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SQR3CQAAQBAJ |location=Charleston, SC |publisher=The History Press |isbn=9781626194793 |oclc=869920838 |access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref>

=== American Revolution ===
[[File:A view of Bristol RI from the harbor.jpg|thumb|right|A view of Bristol RI from the harbor. 1886 engraving.|alt=A view of Bristol RI from the harbor]]
During the [[American Revolutionary War]], the British [[Royal Navy]] bombarded Bristol twice. On October 7, 1775, a group of ships led by [[Captain (naval)|Captain]] Wallace and {{HMS|Rose|1757|6}} sailed into town and demanded provisions. When refused, Wallace shelled the town, causing much damage. The attack was stopped when [[Lieutenant Governor of Rhode Island|Lieutenant Governor]] [[William Bradford (1729-1808)|William Bradford]] rowed out to ''Rose'' to negotiate a cease-fire, but then a second attack took place on May 25, 1778. This time, 500 [[Great Britain|British]] and [[Hessian (soldiers)|Hessian troops]] marched through the main street (now called Hope Street (RI Route 114)) and burnt 30 barracks and houses, taking some prisoners to [[Newport, Rhode Island|Newport]].
=== New Goree ===
Starting in at least in 1805, a community of [[Free Negro|free Blacks]] known as "New Goree" existed along the northern portion of Wood Street in the 19th century from Bayview Avenue to Union Street. This community disappeared by 1900. An African Methodist Episcopal church stood at 417 Wood Street, but was razed by 1898; the Bristol Sports Club currently stands on that lot. Two modest homes on Wood Street were identified in 2023 as being New Goree homes. Researchers speculate that the construction of a [[United States Rubber Company]] plant on Wood Street in 1864 may have played a role in the neighborhood's demise.<ref name="Farzan" /><ref name="Farzan2" />

=== Other history and current day ===

Until 1854, Bristol was one of the five state capitals of Rhode Island.

Bristol is home to [[Roger Williams University]], named for Rhode Island founder [[Roger Williams]].

The southerly terminus of the [[East Bay Bike Path]]<ref>[http://www.riparks.com/eastbay.htm] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080517202551/http://www.riparks.com/eastbay.htm|date=May 17, 2008}}</ref> is located at Independence Park on Bristol Harbor. The bike path continues north to [[India Point Park]] in [[Providence, Rhode Island|Providence]], R.I., mostly constructed following an abandoned railroad right of way. Some of the best views of Narragansett Bay can be seen along this corridor. The construction of the East Bay Bike Path was highly contested by Bristol residents before construction because of the potential of crime, but it has become a welcome asset to the community and the anticipated crime was non-existent.

The Bristol-based [[Herreshoff Marine Museum|Herreshoff]] boat company built five consecutive [[America's Cup]] Defenders between 1893 and 1920. The Colt Estate, now known as [[Colt State Park]], was home to [[Samuel P. Colt]], nephew of the man famous for the arms company, and founder of the United States Rubber Company, later called [[Uniroyal]] and the largest rubber company in the nation. Colt State Park lies on manicured gardens abutting the West Passage of Narragansett Bay, and is popular for its views of the waterfront and sunsets.

Bristol is the site of the [[National Historic Landmark]] [[Joseph Reynolds House]] built in 1700. The [[Marquis de Lafayette]] and his staff used the building as headquarters in 1778 during the [[Battle of Rhode Island]].<ref>[http://www.eastbaychamberri.org/East_Bay_Life/index.cfm/Pages/Town_Descriptions/] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070704003210/http://www.eastbaychamberri.org/East_Bay_Life/index.cfm/Pages/Town_Descriptions/|date=July 4, 2007}}</ref>

====Fourth of July parade====
{{main|Bristol Fourth of July Parade}}
[[File:231st Bristol RI 4th of July Parade.jpg|thumb| The front of the 231st [[Bristol Fourth of July Parade]] in 2016.]]

Bristol has the oldest continuously celebrated [[Independence Day (United States)|Independence Day]] festivities in the United States.  The first mention of a celebration comes from July 1777, when a British officer noted sounds coming from across [[Narragansett Bay]]:

{{blockquote|This being the first anniversary of the [[Declaration of Independence (United States)|Declaration of Independence]] of the Rebel Colonies, they ushered in the morning by firing 13 cannons, one for each colony, we suppose. At sunset, the rebel [[frigate]]s fired another round of 13 guns, each one after the other. As the evening was very still and fine the echo of the guns down the Bay had a grand effect.<!-- "July 4, 1777 journal entry by a Soldier in the Hessian readout at Portsmouth, RI."? --><ref>{{cite book | last=Simpson | first=Richard V. | date=2002 | title=Bristol: Montaup to Poppasuash (RI) |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9SMKAwAAQBAJ | series=Making of America | location=Mount Pleasant, S.C. | publisher=[[Arcadia Publishing]] | isbn=0-738523-56-9 }}</ref>}}

The annual official and historic celebrations (Patriotic Exercises) were established in 1785 by Rev. Henry Wight of the First Congregational Church and veteran of the Revolutionary War, and later by Rev. Wight as the Parade, and continue today, organized by the Bristol [[Fourth of July]] Committee.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.july4thbristolri.com/ |title=Annual Fourth of July Celebration &#124; Bristol, Rhode Island |publisher=July4thbristolri.com |access-date=July 1, 2013}}</ref> The festivities officially start on June 14, [[Flag Day (United States)|Flag Day]], beginning a period of outdoor concerts, [[soapbox car]] races and a [[Muster (event)|firefighters' muster]] at Independence Park. The celebration climaxes on July 4 with the oldest annual parade in the United States, "The Military, Civic and Firemen's Parade", an event that draws over 200,000 people from Rhode Island and around the world. These elaborate celebrations give Bristol its nickname, "America's most patriotic town".

Bristol is represented in the parade with hometown groups like the [[Bristol Train of Artillery Museum|Bristol Train of Artillery]] and the Bristol County Fifes and Drums.<ref>[https://www.bristolcountyfifesanddrums.org Bristol County Fifes and Drums]</ref>

==Geography==
Bristol is situated on {{convert|10.1|sqmi|km2}} of a [[peninsula]] (the smaller sub-peninsula on the west is called Poppasquash), with [[Narragansett Bay]] on its west and Mount Hope Bay on its east. According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the town has a total area of 20.6&nbsp;square miles (53.4&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), of which 10.1&nbsp;square miles (26.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)  is land and 10.5&nbsp;square miles (27.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>)  (50.99%) is water. Bristol's harbor is home to over 800 boat moorings in seven mooring fields.

===Climate===
{{Weather box|width=auto
|location = Bristol, Rhode Island
|single line = Y
|Jan high F = 38
|Feb high F = 40
|Mar high F = 47
|Apr high F = 58
|May high F = 68
|Jun high F = 77
|Jul high F = 83
|Aug high F = 82
|Sep high F = 74
|Oct high F = 64
|Nov high F = 53
|Dec high F = 43
|Jan record high F = 67
|Feb record high F = 64
|Mar record high F = 80
|Apr record high F = 89
|May record high F = 91
|Jun record high F = 94
|Jul record high F = 98
|Aug record high F = 96
|Sep record high F = 93
|Oct record high F = 83
|Nov record high F = 74
|Dec record high F = 70
|year record high F= 98
|year high F = 
|Jan low F = 21
|Feb low F = 22
|Mar low F = 29
|Apr low F = 38
|May low F = 48
|Jun low F = 58
|Jul low F = 64
|Aug low F = 63
|Sep low F = 56
|Oct low F = 45
|Nov low F = 35
|Dec low F = 27
|Jan record low F = −7
|Feb record low F = −7
|Mar record low F = 2
|Apr record low F = 18
|May record low F = 31
|Jun record low F = 41
|Jul record low F = 50
|Aug record low F = 49
|Sep record low F = 35
|Oct record low F = 27
|Nov record low F = 14
|Dec record low F = 4
|year record low F = −7
|year low F = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch =  3.66
|Feb precipitation inch =  3.34
|Mar precipitation inch =  4.52
|Apr precipitation inch =  3.90
|May precipitation inch =  3.54
|Jun precipitation inch =  3.90
|Jul precipitation inch =  3.54
|Aug precipitation inch =  4.03
|Sep precipitation inch =  3.90
|Oct precipitation inch =  4.64
|Nov precipitation inch =  3.90
|Dec precipitation inch =  4.52
|year precipitation inch = 
|Jan snow inch =  10
|Feb snow inch =  10
|Mar snow inch =  7.1
|Apr snow inch =  1
|May snow inch =  0
|Jun snow inch =  0
|Jul snow inch =  0
|Aug snow inch =  0
|Sep snow inch =  0
|Oct snow inch =  0
|Nov snow inch =  1
|Dec snow inch =  7.1
|year snow inch= 
|source =<ref>[https://www.msn.com/en-us/weather/records/Bristol,RI,United-States/we-city?iso=US&el=6bwIH62MKkC0xvCOUgKc7g%3D%3D MSN weather records and averages for Bristol, RI]</ref>
|source 2 =<ref>[http://myforecast.co/bin/climate.m?city=28987&metric=true MyForecast.co for snowfall averages]</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|1748|1069
|1755|1080
|1774|1209
|1776|1067
|1782|1032
|1790|1406
|1800|1678
|1810|2698
|1820|3197
|1830|3084
|1840|3490
|1850|4616
|1860|5271
|1870|5302
|1880|6028
|1890|5478
|1900|6901
|1910|8565
|1920|11375
|1930|11953
|1940|11159
|1950|12320
|1960|14570
|1970|17860
|1980|20128
|1990|21625
|2000|22469
|2010|22954
|2020|22493
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref name="DecennialCensus">{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |title=Census of Population and Housing |publisher=Census.gov |access-date=June 4, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Cen1865">{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=NxsxC5mK7NAC | title=Report upon the Census of Rhode Island 1865 | publisher=Providence Press Company | author=Snow, Edwin M. | year=1867 | location=Providence, RI}}</ref>
}}
As of the [[census]] of 2020, there were 22,493 people and 8,480 households in the town. The population density was {{convert|2,224|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 9,629 housing units in the town. The ethnic group makeup of the town was 91.18% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 1.89% [[Black (U.S. Census)|Black]], 0.31% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 1.04% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.00% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.02% [[Race (United States Census)|other ethnic group]], and 4.56% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 4.26% of the population.

There were 8,480 households, out of which 21.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.8% were married couples living together, 25.5% had a female householder with no spouse present and 21.1% had a male householder with no spouse present. 18.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.23 and the average family size was 2.91.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 13.3% under the age of 18, 17.9% from 18 to 24, 20.8% from 25 to 44, 26.0% from 45 to 64, and 22.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years.

The median income for a household in the town was $96,005, and the median income for a family was $123,929. The per capita income for the town was $50,147. About 7.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.6% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.

==Government==
{| class="wikitable" class="toccolours" style="float:right; margin:1em 0 1em 1em; font-size:95%;"
|+ '''Bristol town vote<br /> by party in presidential elections'''<ref name="Bristol presidential results">{{Cite web |title=Previous Election Results |url=https://elections.ri.gov/elections/preresults/index.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421011935/https://elections.ri.gov/elections/preresults/index.php |archive-date=April 21, 2021 |url-status=live |publisher=State of Rhode Island Board of Elections |access-date=June 8, 2021}}</ref>
|-
! Year
![[Republican Party (United States)|GOP]]
![[Democratic Party (United States)|DEM]]
!Others
|-
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island,2020|2020]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|39.42% ''4,595''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''58.45%''' ''6,813''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|2.10% ''249''
|- 
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 2016|2016]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.26% ''4,080''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''54.11%''' ''5,771''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|7.63% ''814''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 2012|2012]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|36.11% ''3,707''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''61.94%''' ''6,359''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.96% ''201''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 2008|2008]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|35.39% ''3,834''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''63.08%''' ''6,833''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.53% ''166''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 2004|2004]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|38.30% ''4,000''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''60.10%''' ''6,276''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|1.60% ''167''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 2000|2000]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|32.20% ''3,065''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.13%''' ''5,914''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|5.67% ''540''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 1996|1996]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|26.15% ''2,293''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''62.42%''' ''5,474''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|11.44% ''1,003''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 1992|1992]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|28.00% ''2,818''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''49.87%''' ''5,018''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|22.13% ''2,227''
|-  
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''[[United States presidential election in Rhode Island, 1988|1988]]'''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Republican}}|42.51% ''3,538''
|  style="text-align:center"; {{Party shading/Democratic}}|'''57.02%''' ''4,746''
|  style="text-align:center; background:honeyDew;"|0.47% ''39''
|}

In the [[Rhode Island Senate]], Bristol is split into three senatorial districts, all Democratic:<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.rilegislature.gov/senators/default.aspx | title = State of Rhode Island General Assembly | year = 2024 | website = State of Rhode Island | access-date = February 3, 2024 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20240121065052/https://www.rilegislature.gov/senators/default.aspx | archive-date = January 21, 2024}}</ref>

* District 10: [[Walter Felag|Walter S. Felag, Jr.]]
* District 11: [[Linda Ujifusa]]
* District 32: Pamela Lauria

At the federal level, Bristol is a part of [[Rhode Island's 1st congressional district]] and is currently represented by [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] [[Gabe Amo]]. In presidential elections, Bristol is a Democratic stronghold, as no Republican presidential nominee has won the town since prior to the 1988 election.<ref name="Bristol presidential results"/>{{When|reason=Another reference is needed—the current one does not break down results by municipality prior to 1988.|date=May 2021}}

==Points of interest and Registered Historic Places==

<gallery widths="150" class="left" mode="packed" classes="left">
File:Bristol (Rhode Island) Town Common.jpg|Bristol Town Common
File:Burnside Memorial Building and Civil War Memorial.jpg|Ambrose Burnside Memorial Hall
File:Bristol (Rhode Island) State House.jpg|The Bristol County Statehouse/Courthouse
File:A stone bridge in Colt State Park.jpg|[[Colt State Park]]
File:MtHopeBridge.jpg|[[Mt. Hope Bridge]]
</gallery>

* [[America's Cup Hall of Fame]]
* [[Blithewold Mansion, Gardens and Arboretum]]
* Bristol Art Museum<ref>[http://www.bristolartmuseum.org/ Bristol Art Museum]</ref>
* [[Bristol County Courthouse (Rhode Island)]]
* [[Bristol County Jail]]
* [[Bristol Customshouse and Post Office]]
* [[Bristol Ferry Lighthouse]]
* [[Bristol Waterfront Historic District]]
* [[Coggeshall Farm Museum]]<ref>[http://www.coggeshallfarm.org/ Coggeshall Farm Museum]</ref> ({{circa|1790}})
* [[Colt State Park]]
* [[Juniper Hill Cemetery]]
* [[Herreshoff Marine Museum]]
* [[Linden Place]], home of the DeWolfs, Colts
* [[Longfield (Bristol, Rhode Island)|Longfield (Charles Dana Gibson house)]]
* [[Mount Hope Bridge]]
* [[Mount Hope Farm]]
* [[Poppasquash Farms Historic District]]
* [[Joseph Reynolds House]]
* [[Roger Williams University]]
** [[Roger Williams University School of Law]]

== Notable people ==
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· Only people who already have a Wikipedia article may appear here. This establishes notability.
· The article must mention how they are associated with Bristol, whether born, raised, or residing.
· The fact of their association should have a reliable source cited.
· Alphabetical by last name please.
· All others will be deleted.
-->
{{div col}}
* [[Billy Andrade|William Thomas "Billy" Andrade]], golfer with the [[PGA Tour]]; born in Bristol
* [[Ethel Barrymore|Ethel Barrymore Colt]], silent film and stage actress; member of the influential [[Barrymore family]]
* [[Benjamin Bourne]], US congressman and federal judge; born in Bristol
* [[William Bradford (Rhode Island)|William Bradford]] (1729–1808), physician, lawyer, and [[President pro tempore of the United States Senate|President pro tempore of the US Senate]]; lived and died in Bristol
* [[Jonathan Russell Bullock]], federal and [[Rhode Island Supreme Court]] judge; born in Bristol
* [[Ambrose Burnside]], railroad executive, US senator, 30th [[List of Governors of Rhode Island|governor of Rhode Island]], and [[Union Army]] general; lived and died in Bristol
* [[Sean Callery]], Emmy-winning composer, raised in Bristol
* [[Mary Cantwell]], journalist, magazine editor, author and member of ''[[The New York Times]]'' editorial board; grew up in Bristol
* [[Mary H. Gray Clarke]] (born 1835), correspondent
* [[Samuel P. Colt]], entrepreneur, child labor advocate, and Rhode Island state representative; lived in Bristol
* [[Mark Anthony DeWolf]] (1726–1793) was the fourth child of Charles DeWolf, the only one who returned to America. He became the patriarch of the Bristol branch of the [[DeWolf family]]; he was a merchant and slave trader.
* [[James DeWolf]] (1764–1837), son of Mark Anthony DeWolf. He was one of the richest men of his time, making the majority of his fortune in the [[Atlantic slave trade|slave trade]].
* [[Jonathan DeFelice]], president of [[Saint Anselm College]]; lived in Bristol
* [[Rebecca Donovan]], novelist
* [[Nancy Dubuc]], businesswoman
* [[Ramon Guiteras]], surgeon and urologist, born and buried in Bristol
* [[Nathanael Herreshoff]], naval architect and mechanical engineer, designed several undefeated [[America's Cup]] winners; born in Bristol 
* [[Gilbert C. Hoover]], [[United States Navy|USN]] admiral involved in the nuclear bomb project
* [[Edward L. Leahy]], US senator and federal judge; born in Bristol
* [[Ira Magaziner]], senior adviser for policy development to the [[Bill Clinton|Clinton]] administration; Chairman of the [[Clinton Foundation]] Policy Board; lives in Bristol
* [[Seth Magaziner]], [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] for Rhode Island<ref>{{Cite web |title=MAGAZINER, Seth |url=https://bioguide.congress.gov/search/bio/M001223 |access-date=September 26, 2025 |website=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress}}</ref>
* Pat McGee, musician ([[Pat McGee Band]])
* [[Anthony Quinn]], actor (''[[Zorba the Greek (film)|Zorba the Greek]]'', ''[[Lawrence of Arabia (film)|Lawrence of Arabia]]'', ''[[Viva Zapata!]]'', ''[[Lust for Life (1956 film)|Lust for Life]]''); twice won the [[Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor]] (1952, 1956); lived in Bristol. He loved his home so much that he requested, and was given permission by the town, to be buried on his property.
* [[Norman Rene]], theater and film director; born in Bristol
* [[John Saffin]], merchant and author (''A Brief and Candid Answer'' to [[Samuel Sewall]]'s ''The Selling of Joseph'', 1700); lived in Bristol
* [[Chris Santos]], executive chef and owner of the Stanton Social and Beauty & Essex, judge on ''Chopped'' (Food Network TV), born in Bristol
* [[Benjamin Franklin Tilley]] (1848–1907), U.S. Navy rear admiral and Naval Acting-Governor of American Samoa; born in Bristol
{{div col end}}

== See also ==
* [[DeWolf family#Rhode Island branch|DeWolf family]], a prominent local family which made their fortune in the slave trade
{{Portal bar|Rhode Island}}

==References==

{{Reflist|refs=
<ref name="Farzan">{{cite news |last=Farzan|first=Antonia Noori|authorlink=Antonia Noori Farzan|title=Shedding light on the little-known history of New Goree, Bristol's free Black neighborhood |url=https://www.providencejournal.com/story/news/local/2023/08/04/what-happened-to-new-goree-bristols-free-black-neighborhood-linden-place/70421690007/ |access-date=August 5, 2023 |publisher=The Providence Journal |date=August 4, 2023}}</ref>
<ref name="Farzan2">{{cite news |last=Farzan|first=Antonia Noori|authorlink=Antonia Noori Farzan|title=Shedding light on the little-known history of New Goree, Bristol's free Black neighborhood |url=https://news.yahoo.com/shedding-light-little-known-history-090057084.html |access-date=August 5, 2023 |publisher=The Providence Journal/Yahoo News |date=August 4, 2023 | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20230805162206/https://news.yahoo.com/shedding-light-little-known-history-090057084.html | archivedate = August 5, 2023}}</ref>
}}

== Further reading ==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20061114014844/http://www.projo.com/extra/2006/slavery/nav.htm "The Unrightious Traffick: Rhode Island's Slave History"], a seven-part 2006 ''[[Providence Journal]]'' series
* {{Cite book |last=Simpson |first=Richard V. |year=2008 |title=Historic Bristol: Tales from an Old Rhode Island Seaport |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1GaACQAAQBAJ |location=Charleston, SC |publisher=The History Press |isbn=9781596293526 |oclc=175286354}}

==External links==
{{commons category|Bristol, Rhode Island}}
{{wikivoyage|Bristol (Rhode Island)|Bristol, Rhode Island}}
{{EB1911 poster|Bristol (Rhode Island)}}
* [http://www.bristolri.gov/ Official Town Website]
* [http://www.explorebristolri.com/ Destination Bristol]—official tourism site

{{Bristol County, Rhode Island}}
{{Rhode Island}}
{{Narragansett Bay}}
{{Greater_Boston}}
{{Rhode Island county seats}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Bristol, Rhode Island| ]]
[[Category:County seats in Rhode Island]]
[[Category:King Philip's War]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Portuguese-American culture in Rhode Island]]
[[Category:Providence metropolitan area]]
[[Category:Towns in Rhode Island]]
[[Category:1680 establishments in Rhode Island]]