Analysis Of The Bloody Tenant Of Persecution By Roger Williams

For every student, historian, profession, or average civilian, when you ask the question about early American history they will immediately and ultimately respond with one exact answer; the Puritans came to New England in search of freedom and new religion. During the late seventeenth century, religion gave the Puritans the opportunity to begin a new life, achieve social class, gain respect in the colonies, and have individual morality. Although that was a bit difficult to overcome for most Puritans; because the founders of the colonies on the mainland of British North America were in no hurry to arrange religious establishments. Laws were introduced by the Church that sidetracked the Puritans beliefs and aspirations. Political stress comes
Williams believed that no matter what your religious views are, the freedom to fully enjoy your religion with your own judgments and consciences, you are a good Puritan. The civil government however, did not believe in that statement. Roger Williams published his most famous text, The Bloody Tenant of Persecution. His book defines many principles that defend the liberty of conscience and portrays a great dialogue between truth and peace. The first principle starts you off with a pretty distinct image, “That the blood of so many hundred thousand souls of Protestants and papists, split in the wars of present and former ages, for their respective consciences, is not required or accepted by Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace”. In my own opinion, I believe Williams is not a fan of war. The next few principles he lists are all about the blood of poor souls, the use of weapons, and enforcing uniformity to be the destruction of millions. Roger Williams’ next book, To the Right Honorable Both Houses of the High Court of Parliament, mainly focuses on the persecution of conscience and the rights of mankind. “I acknowledge that to molest any person, Jew or Gentile, for either professing doctrine, or practicing worship merely religious or spiritual, it is to persecute him; and such a person, whatever his doctrine or practice be, true or false, suffers persecution for conscience”. That
But as stated, “Extreme social and political stress often results in social and political upheaval and transformation”; everything that is challenging and hard to achieve, always has a greater and stronger outcome. The most vivid and the most striking event during the seventeenth century was the revolution known as Bacon’s Rebellion. William Berkeley, governor of Virginia, wasn’t a favorite amongst the people of Virginia. When the Native Americans started to attack the lands on the frontier settlements, Berkeley never set any action to resolve this issue. Nathaniel Bacon decided to take this matter into his own hands starting a rebellion and attack the Indians. Ultimately Bacon and his followers chased Berkeley straight out of town from Jamestown, Virginia and ended the fight with torching the capital. This rebellion was the first fight that actual civilians took part in. There were many protests, torching, and an alliance that had a great control over the court. Unfortunately this rebellion did not remove all the Native Americans from the Virginia frontiers, but Bacon was happy when he got recalled to England. Bacon’s Declaration and Manifesto are big primary sources that conclude his rebellion. Bacon’s Declaration in the Name of the People was pronounced on July 30, 1676. This list of complaints towards William