rhode island was founded as a colony of religious freedom in reaction to the puritans.
which colony was founded as a colony of religious freedom in reaction to the puritans?
rhode island
in the early 17th century, thousands of english puritans colonized north america, mainly in new england. puritans were generally members of the church of england who believed that the church of england was insufficiently reformed, retaining too much of its roman catholic doctrinal roots, and who therefore opposed royal ecclesiastical policy under elizabeth i of england, james i of england, and charles i of england. most puritans were "non-separating puritans", meaning that they did not advocate setting up separate congregations distinct from the church of england; a small minority of puritans were "separating puritans" who advocated setting up congregations outside the church. the pilgrims were a separatist group, and they established the plymouth colony in 1620. non-separating puritans played leading roles in establishing the massachusetts bay colony in 1629, the saybrook colony in 1635, the connecticut colony in 1636, and the new haven colony in 1638. the colony of rhode island and providence plantations was established by settlers expelled from the massachusetts bay colony because of their unorthodox religious opinions. puritans were also active in new hampshire before it became a crown colony in 1691.
history of the puritans in north america
rhode island (1636), connecticut (1636), new jersey, and pennsylvania (1682), founded by baptist roger williams, congregationalist thomas hooker, and quaker william penn, respectively, established the religious freedom in their colonies in direct opposition to the theocratic government which separatist congregationalists (pilgrim fathers) and puritans had enforced in plymouth colony (1620) and massachusetts bay colony (1628). having fled religious persecution themselves in england, the leaders of plymouth and massachusetts bay colony restricted franchise to members of their church only, rigorously enforced their own interpretation of theological law and banished freethinkers such as roger williams, who was actually chased out of salem., as well as banning quakers and anabaptists. these colonies became safe havens for persecuted religious minorities. catholics and jews also had full citizenship and free exercise of their faiths. williams, hooker, penn, and their friends were firmly convinced that democracy and freedom of conscience were the will of god. williams gave the most profound theological reason: as faith is the free gift of the holy spirit, it cannot be forced upon a person. therefore, strict separation of church and state has to be kept. pennsylvania was the only colony that retained unlimited religious freedom until the foundation of the united states. the inseparable connection of democracy, freedom of religion, and the other forms of freedom became the political and legal basis of the new nation. in particular, baptists and presbyterians demanded vigorously and successfully the disestablishment of the anglican and congregational state churches that had existed in most colonies since the seventeenth century.
freedom of religion in the united states