Founding1631
Roger Williams Arrives in Massachusetts
Roger Williams arrived in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where his advocacy for religious liberty and separation of church and state would lead to his banishment. He went on to found Providence, Rhode Island, as a colony based on religious freedom and fair dealings with Native Americans.
Why It Matters
Williams's principle of separating religious and civil authority became a cornerstone of American constitutional thought, directly influencing the First Amendment's protections for religious liberty.