Roger Williams - The Founder of Freedom of Religion in America

Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, led the way for the United States to become a nation that allowed freedom of religion and was free from the tyranny of religious persecution.

Williams was born in London in 1603. While he was young, he saw numerous burning at the stake of Puritans and heretics which later influenced his freedom of religion views. In 1630, his controversial views became a source of contention, and he escaped to Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1631.

He preached first in Plymouth then in Salem, but his sermons went against Puritan doctrine. He preached that the king of England had no right to give away Native American land or to force people to hold certain religious beliefs. In the Bloody Tenet of Persecution, Williams argued against doctrines that permitted religious persecution.

The Puritans had decided to banish Williams and send him back to England. But he knew that persecution for his beliefs awaited him there. So he escaped the colony in the middle of one of the coldest winters in Massachusetts. He survived because he was befriended by local Native Americans near Narragansett Bay.

Williams purchased the land from the Narragansett Chiefs and named is settlement Providence in thanks to God. Later his settlement grew to encompass the colony of Rhode Island. To protect the land, he also gained a charter from England.

Providence and Rhode Island’s charters were the first to allow freedom of religion. Because of this, many Jews and Quakers made their way there. Later Williams founded the first Baptist church in North America.

Roger Williams died at Providence in 1684, but his descendants continued to establish Rhode Island as a colony and state that allowed people freedom of worship and religion that became a cornerstone for the United States of America.

Persecution in the Colonies

While many Christians escaped persecution by coming to America, some Christian groups faced persecution in the colonies as well. Here are some instances of that persecution.

In Jamestown, America's first permanent English settlement, people were required to attend the Anglican Church (the church of England) regularly. Later in Virginia, taxes were paid to the church and Sunday laws required attendance at least once a month.

Many denominations got around that law by meeting three times a month at their own church and going to the Anglican Church once a month, but some felt they were denying Christ by compromising their beliefs to go to a church they didn't agree with. The punishment was normally a hefty fine.

In 1643, Virginia enacted a law which stated that only those were permitted to preach and teach, publicly or privately, whose beliefs conformed to those of the Church of England. This meant that any church meetings held by Quakers, Baptists, or other denominations were considered illegal.

It was worse for those who were considered to have blasphemed the name of God. The punishment for that crime was imprisonment or death.

The Puritans who established settlements in Massachusetts also persecuted those who disagreed with them. Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were among those who were banished and formed settlements in other colonies.

Eventually Baptists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, and Congregationalist Puritans formed colony and community churches throughout New England. Anyone who disagreed with the doctrine of the colony's church was banished, severely punished, or sometimes executed.

Quakers received the most severe persecution in the colonies. My ancestors, the Willis' and the Brinton's were among the Quakers who came to America to escape persecution only to have their lands ceased and be imprisoned in the colonies.

As more settlers of different denominations and religions came to America, tolerance of the different beliefs became more prevalent. By the Revolutionary War, many of our founding fathers believed in the principle of religious tolerance. Men like George Washington and Thomas Jefferson enacted laws and the first amendment of the Constitution to prevent an establishment of any religion so that all denominations and religions had freedom to practice their beliefs in the public area. Unfortunately, a false interpretation of that amendment is now being used to stop Christians from practicing their beliefs in public, and a new religious intolerance is sweeping America.

A Tour of Benefit Street by Lisa Norato

Benefit Street, Providence, Rhode Island

Benefit Street on the east side of Providence, Rhode Island, is known as the “Mile of History” for the 1.2 miles of historic homes and buildings that line its sidewalks.  Considered an outdoor museum, Benefit Street is a popular tourist attraction, and today I’d like to take you on a virtual tour.  So lace up your sneakers because those cobblestone sidewalks can get a bit unsteady.

"A Benefit for All"

We will be heading north, focusing on early American architecture, although there are many Victorian era homes as well.

Providence was founded by Roger Williams in the early 1600s, when he was expelled from Massachusetts for his religious views.  Almost 150 years later, the city had risen from a religious settlement cut out of the wilderness to a thriving mercantile center, with many making their fortunes trading rum, molasses and even slaves.  These wealthy merchants needed a place to build that reflected their affluent status.  In the 1780s, the hilly area overlooking the Providence River was deemed a prime residential spot for its lofty location above the City.  What was originally called Back Street was widened and the street renamed Benefit because it was deemed to be "a benefit for all."

 

Nightingale-Brown House c.1792

One of the most notable homes of the period is the Nightingale-Brown House built by a wealthy merchant in 1792.  At 19,000 square feet, it is one of the largest 18th century wood frame houses still standing in North America.  I especially love the captain’s walk on the rooftop which would have overlooked the merchant ships sailing into the Providence River.

Stephen Hopkins House c. 1707

This is the Stephen Hopkins house, built in 1707 and occupied by the merchant and ship builder from 1743 to 1785.  The house plaque reveals a bit more about the Colonial man and reads, “Ten times Governor of Rhode Island. Chief Justice of the Superior Court. Chancellor of Brown University. Member of the Colonial Congress. Signer of the Declaration of Independence.” General George Washington was a guest at the house on April 6, 1776.

What makes Benefit Street so special is that its historic character continues throughout the entire length of over one mile, not just in one or two buildings spaced here and there.  The homes have front doors that open right onto the sidewalk as was fashionable at the time, and in strolling down the street it is easy to imagine yourself back in time, as life was 150 years ago.

Isaac Bowen, Jr. House

Among the mansions and wealthy residences along Benefit Street are more modest dwellings in the Federal architecture style.  Though this Federal home doesn’t appear very modest to me.  The plaque by the door indicates that this was the home of Isaac Bowen, Jr. 1770-1804.

Thanks to the Providence Preservation Society, even simple structures bear plaques which indicate when they were built and who originally owned the house, like the home of Daniel Smith.  This house was originally built in 1750 in another area of Providence, but was moved by preservationists to Benefit Street in 1982.

Daniel Smith House c.1750

This was just a sampling of the architecture the street has to offer.  I hope you enjoyed our little stroll and learning about the history of Providence’s Benefit Street.  I wanted to share it with you, because I always enjoy walking along the street, envisioning what it would have been like living in the Colonial era.

Lisa Norato is the multi-published author of Prize of My Heart, an inspirational, seafaring historical from Bethany House, set during the Federal era. A life-long New Englander, Lisa lives in a historic village with homes and churches dating as far back as the eighteenth century