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: -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.

Detailed explanation-4: -Religious dissident Roger Williams is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the General Court of Massachusetts. Williams had spoken out against the right of civil authorities to punish religious dissension and to confiscate Native American land.

Detailed explanation-5: -Interesting Facts about Roger Williams His birth records were destroyed in the Great Fire of London. He married Mary Barnard in 1629. They had six children including three sons and three daughters. He spent his first winter in exile living with the local Wampanoag peoples who gave him food and shelter.