USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Williams starts Providence colony that had complete religious freedom. With a few followers, Williams founded the colony of Providence in present-day Rhode Island in 1636.

Detailed explanation-2: -Roger Williams, defender of religious liberty and founder of Rhode Island, landed near Boston, Massachusetts, on February 5, 1631, aboard the ship Lyon.

Detailed explanation-3: -Rhode Island’s Royal Charter, 1663 The Royal Charter guaranteed religious freedom for Rhode Islanders. It was the first colony to have this freedom.

Detailed explanation-4: -Rhode Island became a haven for Baptists, Quakers, Jews and other religious minorities. Nearly a century after his death, Williams’ notion of a “wall of separation” between church and state inspired the founders of the United States, including Thomas Jefferson, to consider the limits of the First Amendment.

Detailed explanation-5: -Williams founded the colony of Rhode Island based upon principles of complete religious toleration, separation of church and state, and political democracy (values that the U.S. would later be founded upon). It became a refuge for people persecuted for their religious beliefs.