Wanderlust World Wanderlust World When Roger Williams established Providence in 1636 after his banishment from Massachusetts Bay Colony, he laid the foundation for a settlement built on radical principles: absolute religious freedom and separation of church and state. By year's end, this experiment in liberty had attracted approximately 100 settlers.
Williams, a Puritan minister whose views on religious liberty and fair dealings with Native Americans clashed with Massachusetts authorities, purchased land from the Narragansett sachems Canonicus and Miantonomi. The settlement's founding compact—signed by 13 original proprietors—explicitly limited government authority to "civil things," creating the first American colony with genuine religious freedom.
That initial population of roughly 100 included families, single men, and indentured servants—dissenters, Baptists, Quakers, and others unwelcome in neighboring colonies. Growth remained modest through the 17th century; by 1670, Providence Plantations (including Portsmouth, Newport, and Warwick) numbered perhaps 1,000-1,500 colonists total.
The 1636 population figure matters less than what it represented: a functioning society where Jews, Catholics, Quakers, and atheists could coexist without civil penalty. This precedent influenced the First Amendment 150 years later. Williams also established peaceful relations with the Narragansett, learning their language and negotiating land purchases rather than seizure—a rarity in colonial America.
From 100 souls in 1636, Rhode Island grew into a colony whose charter became a blueprint for religious liberty in the United States Constitution.