He stood forth as a staunch advocate of the independence of the
Thirteen Colonies. An admirer of
George Washington, he was selected by the governor of Rhode Island in 1776 to carry a letter to Washington informing him of the condition of the colony and soliciting counsel upon the best method to adopt for its defense. In 1778, Collins represented Rhode Island in the
Second Continental Congress, where he served until May 1781, when he was superseded by
William Ellery. He was, however, re-elected in 1782 and held the position until 1783. In 1782, he was made bearer to the
President of Congress of a statement of Rhode Island's reasons for rejecting the Impost Act. During the
American Revolution, Rhode Island was for the most part an agricultural area, and as such opposed the restrictions of a national government. The state's agricultural interests vigorously advocated a paper currency. Collins espoused their cause and in 1786 was elected governor. During his term in office, the issuance of paper money, which had been ceased at intervals since 1750, was resumed. It was provided by law that should any creditor refuse to accept the bills of the state the debtor might secure a discharge by depositing the amount of his debt with one of the judges of the state superior court or the court of common pleas. This law led to the suit of
Trevett vs. Weeden, which resulted in a decision looking toward the right of courts to declare legislative enactments unconstitutional. ==Rhode Island's ratification of the U.S. Constitution==