When we think of early American champions of religious liberty, one name often rises above the rest: Roger Williams.

Williams is widely remembered as the founder of Rhode Island and a strong advocate for the separation of church and state. But what kind of man turns down a prestigious ministerial position in Boston, only to be banished– and then builds an entirely new colony grounded in radical ideas?

Today, we attempt to answer that question by investigating the life and legacy of Roger Williams, a nonconformist among religious nonconformists.

To help guide us on our investigation of Williams’ life, we’re joined by three co-editors of the documentary collection Reading Roger Williams: Rogue Puritans, Indigenous Nations, and the Founding of America: Linford Fisher, an Associate Professor of History at Brown University, Sheila McIntyre, a Professor of History at the State University of New York, Potsdam, and Julie Fisher, a scholar of Native American history.

Ben Franklin’s World is a podcast about early American history.

It is a show for people who love history and for those who want to know more about the historical people and events that have impacted and shaped our present-day world.

This episode features three guests:

Sheila McIntyre is a Professor of History at the State University of New York, Potsdam, and the editor of The Correspondence of John Cotton, Jr., 1640-1699.

Julie Fisher is a scholar of early America and Native American History, and the co-author of Ninigret, Sachem of the Niantics and Narragansetts.

Together, they have co-edited Reading Roger Williams: Rogue Puritans, Indigenous Nations, and the Founding of America, a one-volume work of Roger Williams’ writings.

During our exploration, Lin, Sheila, and Julie reveal the religious convictions that drove Roger Williams to migrate to and then break away from the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Roger Williams’ collaborations and relationships with Indigenous leaders. And, details about the founding of Rhode Island, a colony where church and state were formally separated and religious liberty was extended farther than anywhere else in early North America.

In your opinion, what impact do you think Roger Williams and his work and life had on shaping the Revolution’s ideas about religious freedom and its pursuit? Sheila, would you like to start?

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