Providence in Providence County, Rhode Island — The American Northeast (New England)
A Livelie Experiment
…at last to proclaim a true and absolute Soul-Freedom to all the people of the land impartially, so that no person be forced to pray nor pay, otherwise than as his Soul believeth and consenteth.
Roger Williams, from Butler's Fourth Paper (1652)
Traders earned a living trading English goods with native peoples. Quite often, unfortunately, neither side completely understood the true nature of the deal.
The town clerk kept the official public records and recorded court and legislative events.
Apothecaries were the equivalent of today's pharmacist, preparing and selling herbal medicines as well as special wines, tobacco, and confections.
Roger Williams built his home and laid out the settlement's first home lots up the hill to your right. Williams offered equal allotments of land to all settlers, paving the way for democratic voting. Unusual for the time, two of the original nine home lots were owned by women, Alice Daniels and the Widow Margery Reeve. Much was done differently in Providence compared to other European settlements. Living here, Williams and his fellow dissidents were reminded daily of their "livelie experiment."
Erected by National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior.
Location. 41° 49.822′ N, 71° 24.628′ W. Marker is in Providence, Rhode Island, in Providence County. Marker can be reached from the intersection of North Main Street (U.S. 1) and Howland Street, on the left when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is within the Roger Williams National Memorial, along the walking path, west of the North Main Street and Howland Street intersection. Marker is at or near this postal address: 237 North Main Street, Providence RI 02903, United States of America.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. A Howling Wilderness (a few steps from this marker); A Shelter for Persons Distressed (within shouting distance of this marker); The Original Water Supply (within shouting distance of this marker); The Wellspring of Providence (within shouting distance of this marker); Realizing Providence (within shouting distance of this marker); Gabriel Bernon (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Seasonal Gathering (about 300 feet away); A Changing Nation (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Providence.
Also see . . .
1. Roger Williams National Memorial.
The Roger Williams National Memorial is a landscaped urban park located on a common lot of the original (Submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Thomas Angell.
Thomas Angell was one of the four men who wintered with Roger Williams at Seekonk, Plymouth Colony in early 1636, and then joined him in founding the settlement of Providence Plantation in what became the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations. He was a minor at the time of his arrival, but his name appears on several of the early documents related to the settlement of Providence. In the early 1650s, he became active in the affairs of the town, serving as commissioner, juryman, and constable. (Submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
3. Roger Williams: In Providence.
Each head of household was given a thin tract of land stretching from the cove up the hill from the Towne Street, totaling approximately six acres. Each parcel of land included a bit of the waterfront, a portion of the slope of the hill and some of the flat land at the top of the hill. There was no ‘big house’ at the top of the hill with the poorer households huddled at the waterfront. Each of the settlers would start with the same type and amount of lands, making Providence a settlement of equals. (Submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Categories. • Churches & Religion • Colonial Era • Settlements & Settlers •
Credits. This page was last revised on March 26, 2018. This page originally submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 35 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 20, 2018, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.