The Story of Rhode Island | S1E2 - Roger Williams, the Radical Leader

1632 - 1636 | Roger Williams continues advocating for religious freedom while also developing a devout following in Massachusetts so the leaders of Massachusetts decide that they must silence Williams once and for all.

My Favorite Books on This Topic:

The Puritan Dilemma: The Story of John Winthrop by Edmund Morgan

Roger Williams and the Creation of the American Soul: Church, State, and the Birth of Liberty by John M. Barry

Roger Williams: The Church and the State by Edmund Morgan by Edmund Morgan

*Map image from Rhode Island Boundaries by John H Cady.

To learn more about this episode and more go to The Story of Rhode Island website

What is The Story of Rhode Island?

The history of Rhode Island is truly remarkable. The Story of Rhode Island is my humble attempt to tell you some of the stories about the people, places, and events that have made Rhode Island the state it is today.

To learn more about the show visit the Story of Rhode Island Podcast website at https://www.storyofrhodeisland.com/

Intro:

Hello and welcome to the story of Rhode Island Podcast. The Podcast that tells you the story of Rhode Island’s fascinating history. In episode 1 we discussed Roger Williams' arrival to America and how he decided to move to Plymouth after the leaders of massachusetts rejected his ideas of religious freedom. For episode 2, we’ll watch Williams fight for the new radical ideas he’s developed and the ones he’s shared in the past. We’ll start by taking a look at the Governor of Plymouth Colony, William Bradford. As Bradford sits at his desk on a chilly December night in 1632 he’s stunned by what he’s reading. Governor Bradford, like Roger Williams, is a man familiar with radical views but the words he’s reading are not just radical, they’re dangerous. Bradford leans forward, inching his eyes closer to the words in front of him as if it will allow him to better understand what he’s reading. His candle flickers beside him as the wind howls outside. Governor Bradford is reading a treatise by Roger Williams which states that the English have stolen the natives land and that since King Charles is not a true christian that he’s not actually the first christian king to discover america. Bradford can’t believe that Roger Williams is not only standing up for the natives but also attacking the monarchy of England. Thankfully, Williams has written this treatise just for William Bradford and agrees to keep these ideas private. Bradford slips the papers into his desk drawer and locks the dangerous papers away. William's controversial views are kept a secret for now but it won’t stay that way for long. Williams is about to return to Massachusetts and when he does the Puritan leaders will discover William's new radical views. And once again Williams and the leaders of Massachusetts will find themselves in a series of heated confrontations but this time the Puritan leaders will silence Williams once and for all. The story of Williams' downfall in Massachusetts is what we’ll cover in episode 2 of the story of Rhode Island Podcast.

Scene 1:

As Roger Williams time in Plymouth passes he maintains his daily routine of preaching at the Plymouth Church and trading with the tribes of New England. His preaching leads him to develop a following but his enemies grow even quicker than his friends. Until finally, in the fall of 1633, Roger Williams and William Bradford agree that he’s been stirring up too much trouble in Plymouth and that it would be best for him to leave. So with nowhere else to go, Williams decides to head Salem, Massachusetts. But Williams does not go to Salem alone as his new following decides to go with him. Roger Williams' problems in Massachusetts start almost as soon as he arrives. They began in December of 1633 when the Governor of Plymouth, William Bradford, sends roger williams treatise to John Winthrop. Winthrop is furious when he first reads the treatise. He cant believe that Williams is standing up for the natives and attacking the english land grants. Years later, Winthrop will write in his journal that Williams referred to their land grants as a QUOTE “sin of unjust user-pation upon others’ possessions” UNQUOTE. In other words, Williams is claiming that the Puritans stole the natives land. The puritans leaders' hatred for Williams escalates even more when he once again begins advocating for religious freedom in Massachusetts. Williams continues his controversial ways for the next couple of years and The leaders of Massachusetts continuously attempt to convince Williams why his radical ideas are wrong. At times, Williams does agree to keep his views silent but not because he thinks they’re invalid. Instead, it’s to protect the puritans colony from the English monarchy. The monarchy of England is already not very fond of the Puritans of Massachusetts and Williams knows that his views have the potential to bring the monarchy crashing down on their newly built society. Therefore, there are times when he does choose to keep some of his views to himself . But time and time again Williams decides to do what’s right instead of what is easy. Each time he reignites his protests he watches his following in Salem grow and by the time 1635 rolls around the radical ministers following has grown immensely. Eventually, the Puritan leaders decide that they must publicly demonstrate to the people of Massachusetts why this radical minister should no longer be listened to. They will do this by gathering the brightest minds in Massachusetts so that they can disprove Williams opinions in front of his entire colony. The event takes place in March of 1635.

As the people of Massachusetts crowd into the Boston meetinghouse on March 4th of 1635 they know that a heated exchange is about to take place. Roger Williams, the man whose radical ideas have stirred up such a following in Salem, is about to see if his ideas can withstand an assault from the brightest minds in Massachusetts. The people in the courtroom chat amongst themselves but when Roger Williams walks to the center of the meetinghouse the crowd quickly grows completely silent. Williams stands at the center confidently and looks up at the ministers and magistrates sitting high above him. Williams sets his eyes on the man sitting in the center of these men, a man by the name of Thomas Dudley. Just last year Dudley was chosen to be the Governor of Massachusetts because some felt as though John Winthrop was actually too lenient of a Governor. The people of Massachusetts certainly got what they asked for as Dudley is known to be a ruthless disciplinarian. Dudley and Williams stare coldly at one another, silently communicating their disapproval of the others views. Then, Williams looks at John Cotton, a man who has been part of the Puritan movement since Williams was just a young boy. Cotton is a celebrity amongst the Puritan community and his sermons back in England attracted large crowds. And for a good reason. Cotton is not only charismatic but brilliant as well. His understanding of the bible is supported by his 15 years of Cambridge University education. The rest of the men sitting high above Williams are formidable adversaries as well and are well trained in disputation. Williams knows that while he’s arguing with one of them another will be conjuring up an entirely new argument that he will have to refute. Williams biggest test is about to begin.

When the debate begins Williams makes his initial statement to the court. He explains his objections against the state of Massachusetts forcing church attendance and requiring everyone 16 and older to swear a loyalty oath to the state. He tells them how enforcing these laws is actually bringing Massachusetts further away from being a true christian society because they are forcing the unsaved to participate in worship which to Williams is considered a sin. John Cotton, deciding he’s heard enough of Williams' statement, begins to interrupt, but Williams does not allow it. He refuses to be silenced anymore. Williams raises his voice and begins quoting scripture from the Geneva Bible to show the crowd that these are not his own opinions but Gods as well. Cotton, a man who is used to quoting scripture to others as opposed to having it quoted to him grows agitated and raises his voice as well. The two argue for a while as they are both able to quote enough scripture to keep the argument going throughout the night. Then, Cotton’s peer, Thomas Hooker, steps into the fray and begins refuting Williams' points but for completely different reasons. And for the next couple of hours other ministers and magistrates attack Williams’ ideas, each of them doing whatever they can to get Williams to admit the errors of his ways. But time and time again they fail and as Governor Dudley begins looking around at the crowd he realizes that the people of Massachusetts are growing increasingly interested in Williams' opinions. Dudley knows he must put an end to this display. So he stands up and emphatically ends the session, leaving most of the matters unsettled. But something has been settled. Williams has proven to the people outside of Salem that his ideas can withstand the assaults from the most intelligent members of Massachusetts society. If these men could not discredit his ideas, then who could? The people outside of Salem start to think, perhaps Williams has a point. As Williams is escorted out of the court he leaves with his head held high. Roger Williams is beginning to feel the momentum swing his way.
Over the next several months, Williams pushes harder than ever to keep the state out of church affairs. The more he speaks, the more the people of Massachusetts listen and Williams’ influence begins to expand outside of just Salem and throughout the Colony. Then, the magistrates watch their fears come true when Williams' influence turns into action. Enough people in Massachusetts now agree with Williams' about the loyalty oath that they call for its removal and the state of Massachusetts is forced to oblige. They are embarrassed but their problems do not end there. At the start of the summer, the magistrates hear that the Salem Church plans on promoting Williams to be the official teacher of their church. You may recall this same event taking place back in episode 1 and how the magistrates used their power to convince the Salem church to revoke their offer to Williams. The magistrates attempt to do the same again but this time the Salem church decides to stand by Roger Williams. By June of 1635, Williams is made the official teacher of the Salem church and for the second time in a matter of months the people have chosen the views of Roger Williams over the views of their magistrates. The Puritan leaders can’t believe how much influence this radical minister now has over their society so they decide they must silence Roger Williams once and for all. They will do so by seeing just how much the church of Salem, Williams most vehement supporters, are willing to give up to defend the radical views of their leader.

Over the next few months, Williams fortunes take a drastic turn for the worst. The magistrates find Roger Williams guilty for sharing diverse and dangerous opinions, a serious charge in a god-fearing colony that expects order to be upheld. Williams is deeply troubled by these charges as he has more to lose than before; Williams now has a 2 year old daughter at home and his wife, Mary, is pregnant with their second child. He hopes that his supporters in Salem will come to his aid and vouch for his innocence. However, the leaders of Massachusetts have a trick up their sleeve. Salem, like the rest of Massachusetts, has seen their population explode over the past few years. King Charles has taken his persecution of Puritans to a new level so more and more Puritans are flocking to Massachusetts everyday. Because of this fact, land is starting to become scarce and the towns need to be able to expand their borders to support this population growth. Salem is no exception to this change so they’ve been desperately asking the state of Massachusetts to allow them to annex the marblehead peninsula. But Massachusetts keeps refusing and makes it very clear that until Roger Williams' followers give up their support for Williams then Salem will not be allowed to annex Marblehead. Now, keep in mind, not everyone in Salem is a supporter of Roger Williams. Most of his support comes from his church’s congregation which is a small portion of the town’s population. On top of that, many wealthy merchants know that the peninsula will provide a great opportunity for economic expansion so they’re continuously pressuring the church of Salem to give up their support for Williams. As the pressure continues to mount, the resolve of Williams’ congregation begins to bend. This infuriates Williams. He can’t believe that the state of Massachusetts is holding the beliefs of a congregation over the heads of an entire town. This just further justifies why the church has to be protected from the state. So Williams tells his congregation that they must separate themselves from the rest of Massachusetts and even the other churches. They must not allow their church to be associated with those who so freely choose to abuse their power. It’s at this point when Williams asks too much from his supporters. For one to challenge the leaders of Massachusetts was already a serious undertaking and to then stand by those protests when the rest of the town was telling them to give up their fight made things even more difficult. But for Williams to now go and say that they should completely separate themselves from the rest of Massachusetts society is too much and the consequences are too dire. The people of Salem are not willing to sacrifice everything for the radical concept of religious freedom so by the start of fall they officially remove their support for Williams. Shortly after that, the support Roger Williams once had from the rest of the colony quickly withers away as well. And once again, just like back in 1631, Roger Williams is just a lone radical forced to fend for himself. The Puritan leaders of Massachusetts have proven that while the people may see the validity in Williams’ ideas they are not willing to give up everything to turn them into a reality. Massachusetts will now see just how much Williams is willing to give up for religious freedom. They will do so at the next general court in October.

When the next General Court arrives in October, Williams once again finds himself at the center of a Massachusetts meetinghouse looking up at the most powerful men in the Colony. Similar to the events that took place back in March, the ministers and magistrates of Massachusetts attack the views of Roger Williams. but, this time there is no debate to be had as Williams is simply being given one last chance to recant his views. As minister after minister lashes out at Williams they periodically stop to see if he is willing to admit defeat and give up his views. But time and time again he refuses. This goes on for some time until they decide that they will give Williams one final chance. They offer a suspension of the proceedings for one month so that Williams an rethink his radical views. It’s hard to imagine the idea not being enticing to Williams. He lives a comfortable life in Massachusetts, is a husband, and now a father. The PUritan leaders are now giving him the chance to at least reconsider whether or not he wants to continue to live that life. All he has to do is give up his fight for religious freedom. But Williams has made up his mind that he’ll stand by these ideas no matter what the cost. So he looks up at the magistrates and ministers of Massachusetts, stares them directly in their eyes, and declines the offer. All agree that any more discussion amongst the two parties is pointless as neither will budge. Williams will be sentenced for his crimes tomorrow morning.
When Williams arrives at the meetinghouse for his sentencing, he suspects that the punishment may be severe. As he stands at the center of the meetinghouse with the magistrates looking down on him he observes the meetinghouses plain wooden walls that have none of the opulent decorations that fill the churches back in England. Williams can’t help but to be reminded of the Puritan’s mission and how he was once considered a core member of their fight. But those days are far behind him because after vehemently fighting for religious freedom and the separation of church and state Williams now stands in front of these men as their enemy. But still, He hopes that his former friends will understand that he was simply trying to show them a different way to order society and hopes that his sentencing will not be too severe. He prays that at the very worst he’ll be excommunicated from the church. Unfortunately, Williams has severely underestimated their hatred for his ideas. As the magistrates in front of Williams become silent the Governor of Massachusetts pushes out his chair, stands up slowly, and reads Williams' sentencing to the court. The Governor states, QUOTE “Whereas Mr Roger Williams…hath broached and divulged diverse new and dangerous opinions against the authority of magistrates…and yet maintaineth the same without restriction, it is therefore ordered that the said Mr. Williams shall depart out of this jurisdiction within six weeks” UNQUOTE. Roger Wiams has just been banned from massachusetts.

And just like that the leaders of Massachusetts have kicked roger Williams out of their colony. A man who stood side by side his Puritan brothers and sisters while facing religious persecution in England, a man who is a husband and a father with two kids at home is now banned from their colony. The Puritan leaders refuse to allow Williams radical ideas to exist within their community any more. Roger Williams is officially an exile. Massachusetts goes to tell Roger Williams that he can stay in Salem until the winter passes as long as he keeps his views to himself. But once again, Williams refuses to listen and begins advocating for religious freedom. So in the dead of winter of 1636 Williams is forced to leave Massachusetts and cast out alone into the bitter New England wilderness. There will be no telling if Williams will survive as that winter proved to be especially harsh. Williams will no longer just be fighting for his ideas but his life as well. But at the same time, Williams will also be presented with an opportunity because although the wilderness is certainly dangerous it also means that Williams will be free. He will finally be free from the Puritan leaders of New England and given the chance to build something new, and that’s exactly what he will do. Williams will go on to build something that is unlike any other place in the entire western world. A place that grants people a level of freedom that most people at the time considered insane. To put it simply, Roger Williams will build something truly revolutionary. But that’s a story for next time, in episode three of the story of Rhode Island podcast.