Claim: Providence, Rhode Island was founded by a Puritan.
Evidence: Providence was founded by Roger Williams , a religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Roger Williams -LRB- c. 21 December 1603 -- between 27 January and 15 March 1683 -RRB- was a Puritan , an English Reformed theologian , and later a Reformed Baptist who was expelled by the Puritan leaders from the colony of Massachusetts because local officials thought that he was spreading `` new and dangerous ideas '' to his congregants.