Rhode Island
In 1636 Roger Williams, a religious exile from Massachusetts, was the founder of Providence as a Rhode Island settlement and was followed by Anne Hutchinson. Williams believed in many factors that differed from that of the government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Colonial Rhode Island was one of the original 13 English colonies located on the Atlantic coast of North America.
Geographic Factors
Rhode Island contained many flat rolling hills and many lowlands. The basic geography of New England consisted of mountains thick with trees which helped the colonists get wood and food. Another factor that promotes the growth of wildlife would be the inundation of rivers spread out around the entire colony. These aspects in the colony promoted shipbuilding, lumbering, and plantations. Unfortunately, there was poor, rocky soil which made it hard for the colonists to plant crops. (7) New England was the coldest of the three regions, mild and short summers leading to long, cold winters but less disease than in the warmer colonies. (7) These geographic factors summarize the suitable conditions in which the colonists lived in.
Social Factors
Roger Williams wanted to keep an individualistic and independent population in the Rhode Island colony. The colonists had much more freedom in the Rhode Island Colony than those in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Due to its free standards, it attracted many dissenters and unbelievers. The colony became known as a "sewer" due to the amount of dissenters living in the area. Although there was religious freedom, the children in schools learned to read using the Bible, but kept the sense of religious tolerance. (11) Many of the colonists mainly worked as lumberers, farmers, shoemakers, and businessmen. As the colony grew, more people came to the area, leaving less room for farms. Even with a less amount of space, Williams encouraged more people to come join the colony.
Religious Factors
Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson were exiled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony for many reasons. Among those reasons, it included their belief of freedom of religion. In the Rhode Island Colony, Roger Williams expressed the freedom of religion greatly. He believed that church and state should always be separated. (1) No taxes compiled in the colony were used for church benefits. (11) As the colony progressed, Williams set up the first Baptist Church in Providence, the capital of Rhode Island. The colony remained religiously tolerant and had always given their citizens the freedom of religion.
Political Factors
Roger Williams believed in universal male suffrage as opposed to the older New England Colonies which persuaded many people to come to the colony. He wanted everybody to have an opportunity to gain money and power in the colony. The colony became chartered in 1644 which allowed Squatters to be able to vote. (1) This was a big difference between the Rhode Island Colony and other colonies at the time.
Economic Factors
Roger Williams had bought the Rhode Island Colony from two Indian Chiefs. (1) Since then, the sales of natural resources has boomed. The colony had been mixed with different styles of industry including agriculture, fishing, and trade. Farmers raised livestock as well as grew crops to gain dairy production too. (1) Due to the amount of rivers in the colony, the main source of income was fishing. Fishermen gained a huge profit in selling fish as food. Also, due to its influx of trees, many colonists became lumbermen or shipbuilders. There were many ways to gain money in the colony, which helped the colonists stay productive and helped the colony gain money.