Reflections on Roger: Religious Freedom

Dr. Patrick Conley, Historian Laureate of Rhode Island and President of the Rhode Island Heritage Hall of Fame, on Roger Williams' impact on religious freedom and the First Amendment to the Constitution.

AUTHOR/CONTRIBUTOR
Dr. Patrick Conley

DR. Patrick T. Conley holds an A.B. from Providence College, an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame with highest honors, and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School. He has published twenty-nine books, including Catholicism in Rhode Island: The Formative Era (1976), Democracy in Decline: Rhode Island’s Constitutional Development 1775–1841 (1977), An Album of Rhode Island History, 1636–1986 (1986), The Constitution and the States (1988), The Bill of Rights and the States (1992), with John Kaminski, Liberty and Justice: A History of Law and Lawyers in Rhode Island, 1636–1998 (1998), and The Rhode Island Constitution: A Reference Guide (2007) with Justice Robert G. Flanders, as well as more than a score of scholarly articles in history, law, ethnic studies, religion, and political science.

The Carter Roger Williams Initiative provides annual scholarships to high school seniors, helping Rhode Island students who appreciate and embody Roger Williams’s values attain a college education. The Carter Roger Williams Scholarship is intended to inspire students and their parents to think big about what’s possible for their future and to value the role of education. By providing resources about Roger Williams and his teachings, the Initiative is intended to establish a sense of place and pride for all Rhode Islanders.

The Carter Roger Williams Initiative was conceived of and funded by philanthropists Letitia and John Carter and is managed by the Rhode Island Foundation. Learn more here.

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