3. Religious liberty in Rhode Island
Individuals & institutions
Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson
Events & dates
Roger Williams founded Providence in 1636 after expulsion from Massachusetts Bay. Rhode Island’s 1663 charter provided unusually broad protection for religious differences. Anne Hutchinson challenged Massachusetts religious authorities and was banished in 1637.
Consequences & historical significance
The colony demonstrated an alternative to compulsory religious conformity, though it did not end colonial dispossession or slavery.