April 26, 2023
My last LifeQuest Rhode Island visit!
Roger Williams Memorial is a physical testimony to Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island. Williams was exiled from MA due to his refusal to think and believe in the same exact way as the Puritans (heresy!), so he made his way to what is now Rhode Island, lived peacefully amidst the Native Americans, and eventually founded a little settlement next a spring and called it Providence.
The English were allowed to live on the land, and in return the Native Americans were allowed to take whatever they wanted from the English farms whenever they wanted.
Williams insisted Providence be a place where people of all beliefs were welcome, and he insisted on the separation of religion and government. The First Amendment is a direct result of Williams’ influence on the creation of our fledgling nation.
The Memorial consists of a small Visitor Center with information about Williams and a rectangular park with signs and a grassy expanse. There’s also small dedication to the Snowtown Riot, an 1831 event in which a group of Whites targeted a Black neighborhood for four days, killing people and damaging property, until the Rhode Island state militia were able to restore order.
And with that, Rhode Island is finished! My attention now turns to Massachusetts and Vermont, two states I hope to finish this year as I continue this fabulous self-made scavenger hunt of National Park/Wildlife Refuge/Recreation Trail/Natural Landmark experiences. Can’t wait until I can do this full-time.
