Middle School
Worksheets
Roger Williams: Founder of Providence, Rhode Island
Caption: Roger Williams statue by Franklin Simmons
The American Pilgrims' story began in the early 1600s. A group of dissenters wanted to separate from the Church of England. They were persecuted in England, so in 1607, they moved to Holland. The English called them Separatists. The Separatists found other supporters. They finally got the financial backing to sail to America in 1620. The first of four ships to sail was the Mayflower. It landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, after a sixty-six day journey.
Roger Williams was born in England in 1603. After graduating from Cambridge University, he became a chaplain. He married not long after becoming chaplain. After serving as chaplain for a while, Williams decided he could no longer follow the rigid laws and regulations of the Church of England. He joined with the Separatists. He felt he would find religious freedom in the new world of New England.
