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Roger Williams
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Engraving of Roger Williams seated at a desk, holding an open book and a quill, with papers and writing materials in front of him. American religious leader Anne Hutchinson First Baptist Church in America
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Engraving of Roger Williams seated at a desk, holding an open book and a quill, with papers and writing materials in front of him.
Roger Williams Founder of Rhode Island Roger Williams.

Roger Williams

American religious leader
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Roger Williams (born 1603?, London, Englandā€”died January 27ā€“March 15, 1683, Providence, Rhode Island [U.S.]) was an English colonist in New England, Puritan clergyman, key founder of the colony of Rhode Island, and pioneering advocate of religious liberty. Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for challenging civil enforcement of religion and advocating for the fair treatment of Native Americans, he established Providence and the Rhode Island colony as a refuge for religious dissenters. His defense of...

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