biography
| sex:
| male
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| lived:
| (c.1604–83)
|
| biography:
| Religious leader, born in London, UK. By 1629 he had become a Church of England minister, but his sympathy for the Puritans led him to emigrate to Massachusetts in 1630. His unorthodox views on religious toleration and on the rights of Indians brought about his banishment by the Massachusetts General Court (1635). With a few followers, he founded Providence, the first Rhode Island settlement (1636) and became a Seeker (1639) - one who had no specific creed but adhered to the basic beliefs of Christianity. As the first president of Rhode Island (1654–7), he welcomed religious groups, including Jews and Quakers, that were persecuted in Massachusetts. Although he remained a firm friend to the Narragansett Indians, he served as a captain in King Philip's War. His many writings on religious matters, and the political structure he gave Rhode Island, show that he was far ahead of his time in his views on tolerance and liberty. |
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