Roger Williams went against most religious and political beliefs, and he was a humanitarian. He went against most people of the 17th century by believing in religious freedom, and he also believed in a democracy. As a Puritan and a separatist he did not go to church with the Christians and the non-separatist. He believed that people should be free to practice religion. When Roger was thirty the governor of Massachusetts wanted him for being a Puritan, to send back to England. Before the governor’s men could get to him, however, he fled to Rhode Island where he lived with the Narragansett tribe. Williams and the Narragansett people welcomed all people of any religion to their land on the Providence Plantation. They welcomed Separatists, Baptist, Seekers, Antinomians, Jews, and Quakers. This was the only place for people to go to have religious freedom. In A Key into the Language of America talks about how he respects the natives by learning their language. He has a respect for other cultures and other people, while most people would not think to talk to the natives. Roger feels that the Natives should be treated equally when he talks about how the Natives wonder why the Europeans call them Indians and not just people. They hear people being called English, and they wonder why they aren’t called English. Roger not only feels that people of different religion should be treated equally, but that different types of people should be treated equally as well.
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