Roger Williams (theologian) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Roger Williams

Born	(1603-12-21)December 21, 1603 London, England
Died	April 19, 1683(1683-04-19) (aged 79) Providence, Rhode Island
Spouse(s)	Mary Barnard

For other persons named Roger Williams, see Roger Williams (disambiguation).

Roger Williams (December 21, 1603 – April 1, 1683) was an English-American Puritan, and a Calvinist-Baptist theologian. He was widely known as a supporter of religious toleration and separation of church and state. He also supported fair dealings with Native Americans. In 1644, he received a royal charter creating the colony of Rhode Island, named for the main island in Narragansett Bay. He is believed to have started the first or second Baptist church in the United States. He is known to have left the church soon afterwards, saying, "God is too large to be housed under one roof."

Famous descendants

These are some famous descendants of Roger Williams:

Williams attended Pembroke College, Cambridge
The Jonathan Corwin House was long purported to be Williams' residence in Salem
The Banishment of Roger Williams (c. 1850) by Peter F. Rothermel
The Landing of Roger Williams in 1636 (1857) by Alonzo Chappel depicts Williams crossing the Seekonk River
The First Baptist Church in America which Williams co-founded in 1638
A mid-19th century depiction of Williams meeting with Narragansett leaders
In 1643, Williams published A Key into the Language of America, the first published study of an Amerindian language in English