From time to time local difficulties arose in the various towns. Ambitious men, seeking their personal welfare, rather than the public weal, disturbed the serenity of the colony. Certain settlers at Pawtuxet sought to be part of the Bay Colony; Coddington, at Newport, desired to be governor for life of the Islands of Rhode Island and Conanicut. Two rival assemblies were organized at Newport and Providence. Roger Williams used his influence and greatly helped to solve the vexing problems. A new colony, with a new and revolutionary ideal, was being born, and the birth-throes were great, owing to the fact that they were pioneers in this work of building a democracy. They had no illustrious precedent to follow. It is a marvel that their difficulties were not more and greater.
In 1656, the United Colonies urged the Providence Colony to banish all Quakers from their realm. They replied that “FREEDOM of Conscience is the ground of our charter, and it shall be maintained.” In 1658, the United Colonies threatened the Providence Colony with exclusion from all intercourse or trade with all the rest of the colonies, if they did not banish the Quakers. Meanwhile the Bay Colony was unrelenting in its persecution of the Quakers. Some were banished, and a few were put to death.
In September, 1658, Cromwell died. His son Richard succeeded him, and after a short time retired. Charles II ascended the English throne in June, 1660. Immediately all acts of the Parliament under Cromwell were repealed, and Providence Plantations lost its charter. The Massachusetts Bay and Connecticut colonies immediately asserted anew their claims for the territory about the Narragansett Bay. Dr. John Clarke, of Newport, was in England representing the claims of the Providence Colony, and, in 1663, secured for it a new royal charter. The old Colony of Providence Plantations ceased to exist. The new colony was called “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.” The charter defined the bounds of the colony, gave it freedom in all religious matters, a system of government, a power to organize courts and to enforce their decisions, power to raise a standing army of defense, and other essential things. The new seal of the colony was “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” with an anchor and the word, “Hope,” above it.
George Fox
Digg’d out of his
Burrovves,
Or an Offer of
DISPUTATION
On fourteen Proposalls made this last Summer 1672 (so call’d)
unto G. Fox then present on Rode-Island
in New-England, by R.W.
As also how (G. Fox slily departing) the Disputation went on
being managed three dayes at Newport on Rode-Island, and
one day at Providence, between John Stubs, John Burnet, and
William Edmundson on the one part, and R.W. on the other.
In which many Quotations out of G. Fox & Ed. Barrowes Book
in Folio are alleadged.
WITH AN
APENDIX
Of some scores of G. F. his simple lame Answers to his Opposites
in that Book, quoted and replyed to
By R. W. of Providence in N.E.
Roger Williams
BOSTON
Printed by John Foster, 1676.
The Model of a Southern New England Indian Village
Oval House of Birch Bark and Mats Corn-field
Women Smoking Fish
