On this day in 1631, Roger Williams arrived in America.

Working His Way Through Massachusetts. He settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, where he worked as a teacher. Williams went on to work as a pastor at Plymouth and then at Salem. His preaching angered the Puritans, who wanted to deport Williams back to England.

South By Southwest. In 1635, he fled to the southwest, where he was befriended by the Natives. Together with the Narragansett tribe, Williams established a settlement near Narragansett Bay, within what is now Rhode Island.

First Settlement to Offer Religious Freedom. He declared the settlement open to those seeking freedom of conscience and the removal of the church from civil matters. It was the first community in history to offer complete religious freedom. Believing the settlement's success was a sign from God, Williams named it Providence.

Those Who Settled There. Among those who found a haven there was Anne Hutchinson, who was exiled from Massachusetts for religious reasons, some of the first Jews to settle in North America, and the Quakers.