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Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations T he Story of Roger Williams. Roger Williams (no, not the zoo). Roger Williams was banned from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Church of England in January 1636, a mere 5 years after arriving in Boston
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Rhode Island and the Providence Plantations The Story of Roger Williams
Roger Williams (no, not the zoo) • Roger Williams was banned from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by the Church of England in January 1636, a mere 5 years after arriving in Boston • He was a strong proponent for the separation of church and state, and found the Church of England to be corrupt and false. • Main beliefs: • Separation of church and state • Freedom of religion • Separatism
Roger Williams and the Wampanoags • After escaping from Salem, Massachusetts, Williams found himself welcomed by Massasoit, the chief sachem of the Wampanoags. • He stayed for 3 ½ months. • In the spring, he moved to Narragansett territory, where he bought land from Canonicus and Miantonomi (chief sachems of the Narragansetts). • Here, he established Providence with 12 other settlers • Providence was to be a haven for those “distressed of conscience”
End Life • Williams died in 1683. • He is now remembered with an apple tree root at the John Brown House Museum at the Rhode Island Historical Society. Also, Rhode Island’s best zoo is named after him in Providence. • He sought to prove to the English that the Native Americans were equal, if not superior in many aspects. • He fought bitterly to protect the Narragansetts, and found King Phillip’s War to be one of the most tragic events in his life. • The war ended with the burning of Providence and the end of peaceful Indian – English relations.