Roger Williams

A 17th-century theologian from England. He was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony after criticizing its religious intolerance, and went on to found the Rhode Island Colony in 1636. Championing "liberty of conscience," he proposed the principle of separation of church and state, denying the nation's right to interfere in individual faith. He also held extremely innovative ideas for his time, such as recognizing the land rights of Native Americans. His ideals exerted a immense influence on the drafting of religious freedom in the later United States Constitution.

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