Roger Williams & the First Baptist Church
C-SPAN Cities Tour – Providence: Roger Williams & the First Baptist Church
Dr. Stanley Lemons, Professor Emeritus at Rhode Island College and historian at First Baptist Church of America, speaks about Roger Williams and his impact on the First Baptist Church of America, on the Bill of Rights, and on fundamental elements of United States principles today. He talks about Roger William’s former role in the Puritan church of England, his banishment from Boston, and his befriending of the indigenous tribes of the region that helped him to survive and establish a new colony. Dr. Lemmons talks about the early settlement of Providence and the elements and architecture present in the current First Baptist Church, a building that’s over 240 years old. Roger Williams’s advocacy for the separation of church and state has continued to influence Rhode Island and the nation through the present age.
Terms:
Fundamental: Of central importance
Advocacy: Public support for or recommendation of a particular cause or policy
Questions:
Why was Roger Williams banished from Boston?
Why did Williams feel the separation of church and state was important?
How does Roger Williams continue to influence the United States today?