U. S. History
2002


As a young man in England, Roger Williams was a protg of the famed
Sir Edward Coke and appeared to have a promising future in the law.
Instead he attended Cambridge and took Anglican orders following
graduation Soon, however, he became attracted to Puritanism.
Williams Nonconformist leanings lured him across the Atlantic to
Plymouth in 1631. He was an extremely bright and enthusiastic
individual, and rarely avoided an opportunity to argue his
convictions. His views on religion and government quickly embroiled
him in disputes with the Massachusetts authorities in Salem and
Boston. He upset the elders by denouncing the Massachusetts Bay
charter, which allowed the confiscation of Native American lands
without compensation and the punishment of purely religious
transgressions by the civil officials. Both of those practices
offended Williams sensibilities.

In 1635, he was expelled from the church and placed under an order
of expulsion from the colony. He was granted time to tidy up his
affairs, but continued his agitation. Exasperated officials decided
to send him back to England, but Williams departed from
Massachusetts on his own accord and spent three months living with
local Indians. In 1636, he and a number of followers established the
settlement of Providence on Narragansett Bay, a colony notable for
the fact that the Indians were paid for the title to their lands.
Williams founded the first Baptist Church in America, but soon
withdrew and thereafter referred to himself as a "seeker," meaning
basically a nondenominational Christian in search of spiritual truth.

One of Williams beliefs had caused particular grief among the
authorities. He argued that an individual Christian would know when
he was saved, but could not know about the salvation of others.
Therefore, it was senseless to require a religious qualification for
voting. In essence, Williams was calling for the complete separation
of church and state, a position that undercut the authority of the
church and civic leaders.

Williams obtained a royal charter for Rhode Island in 1644, an
action that demonstrated a practical side to his character. He
continued to believe that the king did not hold title to Indian
lands, but realized that his colony would be more secure from
English opponents if he held a charter.

Under Williams' influence, Rhode Island became a haven for those who
suffered from religious persecution, including Jews and Quakers.
The Puritan leaders of Massachusetts were adamantly opposed to
Williams views, but were perceptive enough to recognize that the
Rhode Island colony provided an important service. Dissidents like
Williams and Anne Hutchinson could be quietly dealt with through
exile. If, however, they were imprisoned, executed or sent back to
England, questions would be raised about the conduct of affairs in
the Bay Colony. The last thing the Puritan fathers wanted was
increased attention from the officials in London.