Roger Williams

Roger Williams was an English-American Puritan minister, theologian, and author who founded the colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was a staunch advocate for religious freedom and the separation of church and state, which led to his banishment from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Williams' writings, particularly 'The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience', were influential in shaping early American ideals of liberty.