Bristol, town, seat of Bristol County, eastern Rhode Island, a port of entry on Narragansett Bay; incorporated 1680 as part of Plymouth Colony, annexed by Rhode Island in 1746. Major manufactures include textiles, machinery, rubber and plastic products, and boats. Roger Williams University (1948) and the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology (1956) are here. The community was settled in 1669 and named for Bristol, England. It was the site of several battles during King Philip's War (1675-76), a conflict between colonists and Native Americans, and was damaged by the British during the American Revolution. Population 20,128 (1980); 21,625 (1990); 21,625 (1996 estimate).
