 Significant political events were taking place upon Arnold 's arrival in Newport . William Coddington had been successful in removing the island towns of Newport and Portsmouth from the government with the two mainland towns of Providence and Warwick under a commission he obtained earlier in England , and he was appointed as governor for life of the two island towns in 1651 . Providence , feeling that the Patent of 1643 had been abandoned , sent Roger Williams to England , and those on the island opposed to Coddington sent Dr. John Clarke , accompanied by William Dyer , to have Coddington 's charter annulled . Finding success , Williams and Dyer returned to New England , but Clarke remained in England for the next decade , acting as a diplomat to further the colony 's interests . In February 1653 Dyer brought letters revoking Coddington 's commission , with the authority of the government to proceed under the Patent of 1643 , and the status quo of 1647 . John Sanford succeeded Coddington in 1653 , and with the change of administration came the work leading to the reunification of the four towns under one government . In 1653 Arnold became a freeman of Newport , and from that point forward served in some public capacity every year until his death in 1678 . In 1654 he was selected as one of the commissioners from Newport ( each of the four towns had six ) , and from 1655 to 1656 he was an Assistant . As a member of the Court of Commissioners he was very active , and a member of the most important committees . In 1655 he was appointed by the court with Roger Williams , Samuel Gorton and William Baulston to frame a letter of thanksgiving to the English Lord President of the Council ( on colonial affairs ) , and to present humble acknowledgments and submission of the colony to His Highness , the Lord Protector , Oliver Cromwell , and the letter of reply from Cromwell was placed in the custody of Arnold . In 1657 , at the age of 41 , Arnold was elected as the President of the colony , succeeding Roger Williams in this capacity . 
