Final answer:
Banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Roger Williams founded Rhode Island. He instituted complete religious freedom in the colony, even allowing Jews and Catholics to practice their faith freely. This stance introduced the concept of separation of Church and State, with the state not having any authority over an individual's religious beliefs.
Step-by-step explanation:
Roger Williams, banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for his dissenting views, established the colony of Rhode Island. Williams founded Rhode Island on the principles of complete religious freedom and argued against compulsion in matters of faith by the state. This religious freedom even extended to Jews and Catholics, a radical move given the prevalent anti-Catholic sentiment of the era.
Williams was a fervent believer in the separation of Church and State, a principle that was reflected in his policies in Rhode Island. He insisted that the state had no right to punish individuals for their religious beliefs. This extended to acceptance of various religious groups, including the Jews and Catholics, who often faced persecution in other colonies.
Williams' establishment of Rhode Island as a haven for those who faced religious persecution was a milestone in the promotion of religious freedom, a principle later enshrined in the United States' Constitution.
Learn more about Roger Williams