Puritan Theocracy in Colonial America
- Artist/Author/Producer: Roger Williams
- Confronting Bodies: Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Dates of action: 1635
- Location: Massachusetts Bay Colony
- Description of the Art Work
- Roger Williams was an outspoken advocate of religious freedom, and was
one of the first challengers of Puritan Theocracy.
- Description of incident
- Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his
toleration and support for religious diversity, which included, "Jews,
Pagans, and Turks." His defiance over state control over religious
freedom led to his expulsion from the state.
Williams moved to Rhode Island and founded the city of Providence.
In 1644, Williams wrote a book on religious freedom, democracy and
intellectual freedom, "The Bloody Tenent of Persecution."
- Results of incident
- In 1936, 300 years after Williams expulsion from the former colony, the
state legislature retracted its expulsion order.
Source: New York Public Library