Roger Williams

Roger Williams
9th President of the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations
In office
1654–1657
Preceded byNicholas Easton
Succeeded byBenedict Arnold
Chief Officer of Providence and Warwick
In office
1644–1647
Preceded byHimself (as Governor)
Succeeded byJohn Coggeshall (as President)
Governor of Providence Plantations
In office
1636–1644
Preceded byposition established
Succeeded byHimself (as Chief Officer)
Personal details
Bornc. 1603
London, England
Diedbetween 21 January and 15 March 1683 (aged 79)
Providence Plantations
SpouseMary Bernard
Children6
EducationPembroke College, Cambridge
OccupationMinister, statesman, author
Signature

Roger Williams (c. 1603 – March 1683)[1] was an English-born New England Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded Providence Plantations, which became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations and later the State of Rhode Island. He was a staunch advocate for religious freedom, separation of church and state, and fair dealings with the Native Americans.[2]

Williams was expelled by the Puritan leaders from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and he established Providence Plantations in 1636 as a refuge offering what he termed "liberty of conscience". In 1638, he founded the First Baptist Church in America in Providence.[3][4] Williams studied the language of the New England Native Americans and published the first book-length study of it in English.[5]

  1. ^ "Roger Williams (American religious leader)". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Archived from the original on February 6, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
  2. ^ "Roger Williams". History.com. A&E Television Networks. 2009. Archived from the original on January 27, 2018. Retrieved January 26, 2018.
  3. ^ "Our History". American Baptist Churches USA. Archived from the original on April 4, 2017. Retrieved March 22, 2017.
  4. ^ "First Baptist Meetinghouse, 75 North Main Street, Providence, Providence County, RI". Library of Congress. Archived from the original on January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
  5. ^ Lawson, Russell M. (April 2, 2013). Encyclopedia of American Indian Issues Today [2 volumes]. ABC-CLIO. p. 181. ISBN 978-0-313-38145-4.

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