Most people go through life without caring about the thoughts of others, simply throwing stereotypes around without any justification or knowledge of the person being alienated. Some are ungrateful for the religious freedom most of us are capable of. Some do not realize the struggle that people had to go through more than 300 years ago to gain religious freedom and work through the profiling given by the hierarchy of society. No one worked harder than Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island, to secure freedoms and dissolve stereotypes. Williams, born in London in 1603, was an experienced young man from the start, having witnessed many Puritans being burned at the stake for being "heretics" and not following the religion of the Church of England. Several years after graduating from Cambridge University, Williams decided to take his wife and come to the Massachusetts colony in 1630. In the colonies, Williams felt it was best for a man who continually spoke out against the Church of England to be too involved in the actions of the government, to be a heretic rather than face the fire. After reading "Roger Williams", a biography written by Edwin Gaustad, Williams' feelings, thoughts, and actions are shown through Williams' literature, letters between Williams and John Cotton, and Williams' actions with Native Americans. Gaustad wastes no time and goes straight in the direction of Williams' cult and religion. Gaustad shows the negative side behind the church being closely involved in government actions in the Massachusetts colony and how, despite being a preacher first in Salem, Williams speaks out against such acts. Threats and whispers fly around as everyone is encouraged to leave Williams behind in...... middle of paper ...... what he told of Williams from a young boy to an older male starting a new colony has me kept intrigued and interested for the most part. Reading about Roger Williams was a pleasure for me to see that people back then didn't just follow what was fed to them, they weren't all drones walking the same line, but they had their own opinions and expressed them despite that that could have come out. It. Williams' story showed me the hardships endured to gain freedom that was simply not granted as it is today. I learned that there were some integral problems with the colonies in history, and that simply leaving England would not avoid all the problems that lay across the sea. Roger Williams was without a doubt the best choice I could have made to read, because his passion for what he believed in is a great role model for anyone and a true inspiration.