The effort to settle a vast new land in North America was not easy. Colonists faced struggles over land, religion, and freedoms. But despite the many conflicts, the foundation for a new type of government was laid. At the same time, Native Americans fought to keep their lands and traditions alive in a rapidly changing world that became as new to them as it was to the colonists.
Roger Williams was the first American leader to support what today's citizens know as the separation of church and state. He believed the state should not favor one church over another or shape its citizens' religious beliefs. Williams was banned from Massachusetts Bay Colony for his ideas, which were considered radical. He later founded the colony of Rhode Idland, and his beliefs become a cornerstone of the United States. from the back cover.