Roger Williams fled from Massachusetts due to persecution by Puritans and founded which colony?

• A. Rhode Island
• B. Connecticut
• C. New Hampshire
• D. Virginia

Answer: (A)

Religious liberty and the separation of church and state are the ideas this question highlights. Roger Williams was banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony by Puritans who wanted an established church and tighter political control. He then founded a settlement at Providence that grew into Rhode Island, a place built on religious freedom and fair treatment of Native Americans. This later became known for its tolerance and for allowing dissenters to worship freely, distinct from the more church-centered Puritan colonies elsewhere. The other colonies listed were established for different reasons—Connecticut by Puritans seeking more autonomous church governance, New Hampshire by settlers pursuing land and trade in that region, and Virginia as an early southern colony founded for economic ventures.