Name:
Roger Williams
Birth:
c. 1603
Death:
? March 1683
Nationality:
Roger Williams was born in London, England the son of a tailor. He went to Cambridge University and graduated in 1627. His rising views of Puritanism alienated him from the Church of England and forced him to leave. Roger Williams arrived in Boston in 1631.
Banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony:
On October 7, 1635, Roger Williams was banished from the
Massachusetts Bay Colony for his beliefs in the freedom of religion and the need for separation of Church and State. He was supposed to return to England but instead fled to the wilderness where he lived amongst the Narragansett Indians.
Historical Significance of Roger Williams:
In 1636, Roger Williams founded the colony of
Rhode Island on the premise of separation of church and state. This colony was the first to guarantee freedom of worship for all its citizens. Roger Williams views later became a part of the future United States prohibition against state sponsored religion.
