Advanced Placement-Style United States History
Practice Question of the Day
Answer and Explanation



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Question 905:

Four of the following statements about Roger Williams, founder of Rhode Island, are accurate. Which is not?

    (A) he was expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony
    (B) Rhode Island became a religious haven for those persecuted for their beliefs, including Baptists, Quakers, and Jews
    (C) he supported the separation of church and state and opposed the citizen's oath demanded by the officials of Massachusetts Bay
    (D) he consistently supported the religious and political leaders of the Colony
    (E) he proclaimed that the King of England had no right to give away land that belonged to the Indians

Answer:
     (D) he consistently supported the religious and political leaders of the Colony
Explanation:
Roger Williams began criticizing the Puritan authorities in Massachusetts Bay Colony soon after he arrived in 1631. He refused to serve as minister of a church that recognized the Church of England. He declared that the charter of the Colony was invalid and that each person had the right to freedom of opinion regarding religion. He was ordered to be banished in 1635 and settled in Rhode Island, where he established a colony that welcomed religious dissidents and was the first to outlaw slavery.
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