Essays and Letters to the Editor about Roger Williams

Essays and  Letters to the Editor about Roger Williams
By Marc Kohler: marcwkohler@aol.com 401-441-2129
Web Site: marcwkohler.com

Roger’s Name in Pembroke College Registry…………………2

Why we need to revive interest and appreciation of Roger Williams3-4

A different perspective on Roger Williams The Warwick Beacon  Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2019………………………………………..5

Reflections about Roger Williams, Rhode Island Foundation Essay….6

Schools Should Teach About Legacy of Roger Williams
Providence Journal May 5, 2018………………………………………….7

Burning of the Gaspee a crucial lesson for kids Pawtucket Times
Oct 2017 Op-Ed………………………………………………………8-9

Brainstorming Essay written for the Roger Williams Memorial
Anniversary Re-Dedication Celebration June 18,’19 April 3, 2019…9-12

Gaspee/Roger Williams Storytelling Presentation Sept. 10, 2017 ..13-14

ROGER WILLIAMS WORKS……………………………………………..14

Roger’s Name in Pembroke College Registry

Here is a photo of the registration for students at Pembroke College in 1623. Ms. Elizabeth Ennion-Smith, Archivist of Pembroke College. Cambridge, sent it to me. This was a fantastic email! You have to look hard to see the name “Williams”. This is the only name in the list of years of registrations which lacks a first name and any other information. I believe that that was because Roger entered with the support and perhaps pressure from Sir Edward Coke. Roger had none of the money nor position which would have allowed his entry. Without this help and respect from the founder of Common Law, there would be no separation of Church and State in our country day! Roger had shown himself to be a brilliant scholar, for he had been honored at the close of his time at Charterhouse.
https://www.marcwkohler.com/roger-williams-name-in-pembroke-college/

Why we need to revive interest
and appreciation of Roger Williams
Attitudes and knowledge about RW is not going to change.  Whoever is obligated to educate Rhode Islanders are perfectly happy with doing their jobs, and leave the situation the way it is.  We have to realize that every state has a person or persons who inspire the citizens by great actions and ideas.  Illinois would be a different state without Lincoln.  Virginia has Jefferson.  Massachusetts has many. Rhode Island has Roger Williams, and his brilliance, stamina, and accomplishment should make him a nationally known figure.

Here are some reasons why:
Roger Williams’ life and work is more valuable than all the gold discovered in California and Alaska.  It is more valuable than all paintings and pieces of music.   His work gave the world a gift that is received and appreciated by millions and millions of humans across the world.  In fact, if and when his beliefs became common knowledge, it could change the very shape and future of Christianity itself.
He was a genius.  He learned Dutch from immigrants who lived near his home.  He had taught himself stenography by his twelfth birthday.
He converted to Puritanism by this age, and that caused problems for him with his parents.
His ability with stenography brought him to the attention of Sir Edward Coke–considered the founder of the concepts of habeas corpus, common law, and hundreds of the ideas that established the very core of English law.  From the age of 12 to 18, John Barry and I believe Roger lived in Coke’s mansion. He did stenography, final copies, and possible some writing with Sir Coke.  Coke referred to him as a son. This gave this brilliant teenager more legal training than any lawyer of the day and more understanding of the ideals expressed by Coke.
Coke sends him to Charterhouse school, and Roger is a star.  He graduates from Pembroke College with honors, friends and connections to the Rich-Barrington-Hildersham group. This is profound, for it is this group that provides the shield for Roger from any physical punishments in Massachsuetts .—this puts him into a group rather than the ‘solo’ person that most biographies insist on.
Roger is ordained into the Church of England. He cannot find work at an Anglican church, because of his Separatist beliefs. Instead, he becomes the domestic chaplain at the home Sir William and Lady Masham.  By this point in his life, Roger has established himself as an excellent minister, a brilliant scholar, and a hard core believer in separatism, separation of church and state, and establishes his personal goal to build a society which is fair, honest, and generous to the poor.  Many writers of the day wrote about these ideas,  but Roger Williams is the only man in the world who created in the real world such a society.  That is the treasure that we receive every day.  For that, Roger Williams is as important to America as Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and even John Locke.
During the Parliamentary meeting in June of 1629, Sir Coke’s Petition of Right is passed.  Roger attends that meeting, and he carries messages amongst the members and from London to Essex. Lady Masham’s father, Sir Francis Barrington, had died in 1628, and he was remembered as a saint for the Puritan movement. Roger had his blessings! Roger was there when King Charles ended Parliament!
During these years, Roger evolves a brilliant architecture of reality. His spiritual beliefs, his knowledge of the law, his natural openness with all people, and his downright stubbornness makes Roger one of the most brilliant men of his time. It may surprise you, but I put him at the same level as Einstein, Tesla, Edison, and any other brilliant minds. Without his work, there is no modern secular state.
Finally, understanding his definition of what it means to follow God and Christ. He rejected every bit of the Church of England as being apostate. Anything created by Constantine’s Roman Catholic Church marked the end of Christ’s message. He rejected all of the borrowing that Christianity from pagan religions such as Christmas. For most of his adult life, Roger did not belong to a Christian denomination.   Why?  He saw the gift of life from God and Christ as the greatest gift ever.  He writes often that that gift is greater than any treasure that any king or emperor could acquire. He believed that meeting the goals of the scriptures was a person’s ultimate goal, and people were unable to worship in any group. Groups corrupt the relation between the Christian and the Christian life requirements. When you put these ideas into a real analysis, you will find echos of some of the deepest thinkers in Christianity. This is a real tragedy. Roger’s thoughts about these deep issues have been hidden from all of us.
His was a belief in Jesus’s message to follow the laws that give people freedom, fairness, equality in the political realm, care for the poor, democracy for property owners, and the faith that we all will be punished or rewarded——BUT, these acts will not occur until the end of time and the return of Christ.  I am not sure where we stay for those years of waiting.  “…But the Son of man, the meek Lamb of God—for the elect’s sake which must be gathered out of the Jew, Gentile, pagan, anti-Christian—commends a permission of them in the world until the time of the end of the world, when the goats and sheep, the tare and wheat, shall be eternally separated from each other…” (RW: Bloudy Tenent  p. 59 Mercer University Press 2001)   Roger believed that whatever happens to any of us will not occur until the end of the world.   This puts him into a unique niche of Christianity.

Marc Kohler
A different perspective on Roger Williams
The Warwick Beacon  Posted Tuesday, February 5, 2019
To the Editor:
I have found that much of what people say about Roger Williams is not true.
They say that Williams worked as a minister, but he didn’t. Yes, he ministered all of his life, but he made money by owning a trading post, and as Rhode Island grew he received money working for the colony. He was a volunteer minister, but was paid as a politician and merchant.
Williams is credited with founding the Baptist Church in America. He did spend a few months with a group of Particular Baptists, banished from Massachusetts, but he quit the group after a few months. Chaddus Brown and others were the true founders of the Baptist Church.
Everyone says that Roger Williams “bought” the land upon which Providence was built. This is a distortion. From the moment Williams arrived in America, he strove to be a friend of the Indians. He learned their language, their customs, their values, and much more. Yes, there was a deed, but Williams was considered a brother to the Narragansetts.
Williams is credited, too, with creating the concept of “separation of church and state.” The problem here is that he did much, much more. He wrote that Christians couldn’t harm people because of differences in religion. He also created aspects of governance built into the colony’s charter and constitutions that were very profound political ideas. They are so brilliant that Oliver Cromwell used them in his several constitutions.
You can read more at www.marcwkohler.com/roger-williams-draft-essay.
Marc Kohler
Cranston
http://www.marcwkohler.com/1074-2/

Reflections about Roger Williams
Ms. Lauren Paola of the Rhode Island Foundation asked me to write this for the Reflections blog of the RI Foundation Carter Roger Williams Initiative. I submitted it in October of 2018.  You can see other Reflections on their site: http://www.findingrogerwilliams.com/reflections. They have not published this essay.

“Roger Williams” has become a name that people recognize, but most Rhode Islanders and Americans have no idea of who he was, what his work did for our governance, and the incredible life that he led.  Part of the of the problem has to do with the “summaries” of his life.
Every site starts off by saying that he worked as a “Minister”, that he founded the Baptist Church in America, and that he bought the land for Providence from the Narragansetts.  None of these are true.
Yes, Williams was ordained as a minister, but he was rarely paid for the job.  When he was a Domestic Chaplin for the home of Sir William and Lady Elizabeth Masham he was compensated but most likely not paid—more like a member of the family rather. Yes, he was paid for some of his work in Salem, nothing for when he was a speaker at the Plymouth church, and a little bit when he had his second stay at Salem.  After he left the bay Colony, he held services in his home, but there was no church to pay him.  He did earn money in two endeavors. One was the owning of two trading posts—one in Providence and the second in Wickford.  He also received payments for his service in the governance of Providence, and stipends when he traveled to England for colony projects.  Founder of the American Baptist Church?  No, not really.  He did join a group of Baptist Particulars who had arrived after being banished from Massachusetts.  He stayed with them for a couple of months, and then withdrew his membership writing that he would be a “Seeker”.  So, yes, Roger Williams was an ordained minister, but he was never a conforming member of any denomination.
Roger Williams wrote that he went to New England to convert the indigenous people,  but after being here for a while, he concluded that no one could be converted without knowing the language and knowledge of the bible.  He apparently converted no one.  By the time he was twelve years old, he had recruited by Sir Edward Coke to serve as a stenographer for the Star Chamber, and other situations where he met Francis Bacon, King James I, and many of the active members of the government.   Coke “adopted” Williams, and supported him in his education.  While there, Williams learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, and Dutch.   So, one of the first thing he learned in the Bay Colony, was what is called Algonquin today, but in Roger’s day, Narragansett.  He was well known by the indigenous people throughout the region.  He did not pay the Narragansett much if anything.  No, his relationship with the tribe was much more as a brother filled with respect and affection.  When Miantonomoh  died, Williams wrote of Miantonmoh “…We had been in each other homes thousands of times…”.
The final question is where does Roger Williams fit into the history of Rhode Island and America?  You will surprised, but my answer is that if we planned to add a fifth face to Mt. Rushmore, it should be Roger’s face.  Further, we should have a Roger Williams Day not only in Rhode Island but for all the country.  His gifts to our way of life are without limit.
http://www.marcwkohler.com/ri-foundation-reflections-essay/
Schools Should Teach About Legacy of Roger Williams
Providence Journal
http://www.providencejournal.com/opinion/20180505/letter-marc-kohler-schools-should-teach-about-legacy-of-roger-williams

Letters to the Editor  May 5, 2018

I have found that more people in Rhode Island know the stories about Jedediah Springfield, the founder of the fictional town of “Springfield” of TV’s “The Simpsons,” than the stories about Roger Williams, the founder of Rhode Island.
Last summer I researched and created a children’s presentation about the importance of the burning of the Gaspee and the life and accomplishments of Williams in the history of not just of Rhode Island but the United States.
Let this be a clarion call. It is time to bring Williams into our discussions, our hopes and our dreams for our state. Why?
Williams, when he was young, was discovered by the leading jurist of England, Edmund Coke, and engaged as a stenographer for the court. Coke sent Williams to the best schools. By the time he sailed to America, he spoke five languages (Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French, and Dutch). In America, he learned Narragansett, and in 1643, he wrote the first translation of an Indian language by a European, “A Key into the Language of America,” with a brilliant discussion of Indian life and values.
Need more? He founded the Baptist Church in America. He was the architect of the concept of separation of church and state.
One more: In “The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution for Cause of Conscience,” Williams wrote one of the most profound explanations of why Christians cannot harm others due to religious beliefs.
I could write more, but letters have limited space. Readers can see more and comment at: https://rogerwilliamsamericanhero.blogspot.com.
Marc Kohler
East Providence
http://www.marcwkohler.com/a-letter-to-the-editor-about-roger-williams/

Burning of the Gaspee a crucial lesson for kids
Pawtucket Times 6 Oct 2017 Op-Ed

http://www.marcwkohler.com/pawtucket-times-op-ed-gaspee-and-roger-williams-crucial-lessons-for-kids/

This spring, I started doing research to create a storytelling presentation for school-aged children about the burning of the Gaspee.
During that research, I discovered things that would help Rhode Islanders be very proud of our past, both in understanding the importance of the Gaspee event in provoking our rebellion against Great Britain, and the incredible impact that Roger Williams had on the independence felt by those raiders in 1772, as well as in the building of America. Roger Williams, due to his independence and originality in his writing and actions, should be included with Washington, Adams, and Jefferson as one of the most important people who helped create the America that we know today.
The Gaspee burning was the match that lit the explosion that was the American Revolution in 1775. Why? Rhode Islanders were an independent crew of merchants and seamen in the 1770s. Along with other colonies, we were involved in fighting for lower taxes, a more fair tax system, and the right to be represented in any decisions concerning our taxation. The Stamp Act, which took effect in 1765, and was not ended until 1776, caused rage throughout the colonies.
In Narragansett Bay, the Gaspee, captained by Lieutenant William Duddingston, was harassing every ship it could. Duddingston was so hated that he had to wear a costume when he visited Providence. So, it is believed that John Brown, Benjamin Lindsey, and others had actually toured the bay to find the best place to maroon the Gaspee. Once the plan was put into action, the Gaspee was marooned off Namquit Point. The raiders met at Sabin’s Tavern, decided to take whatever goods were on the Gaspee, and then to set it aflame. As we all know, that is what happened.
That is not the end of the story, though. King George became enraged, and ordered that once the raiders were apprehended, they would be taken to England for trial. This was a clear violation of the Charters of the colonies — defendants would be judged only by a group of their peers. The Gaspee burning and this demand by the king caused Samuel Adams and others to create the Committee of Correspondence, and their first subject was this demand by King George. Rev. John Allen brought the struggle forward in his “Oration on the Beauties of Liberty,” written in December of 1772, which delivered the demand for freedom from England.
That brings me to my second discovery: Roger Williams stands as a giant in the history of America, while he means literally nothing to most Rhode Islanders, except for the name of “his park.” Why is this true? First, he was, in my mind, a genius. By the time he was eight years old, he had learned stenography so well that the highest jurist in England, Edward Coke (pronounced “Cook”) brought him to the court to work. Coke sent Roger to the best schools, and by 15, he had learned Latin, Greek, Hebrew, French and Dutch. He grew up in Anglia, a neighborhood of London, which was a center for Puritan Separatists. Oliver Cromwell was his cousin. He emigrated to colonial America to convert the native population. In little time, he learned Narragansett (now called Algonquin). He was the first European to write a dictionary and cultural study of a native people in 1643.
He was a master linguist, the founder of the Baptist Church in America. He helped Chaddus Brown, the father of John Brown, to become the second minister for the church.
He wrote “The Bloudy Tenant Against Persecution due to Conscience,” which demanded that there were no reasons to persecute a person because of difference in religious belief. This brilliant work became the core of our Constitutional separation of Church and State, as well as the desire for tolerance. I cannot here write all of his contributions to America’s life, but I do know that, without a doubt, his life story should be known by all of us. He stood up against the Massachusetts theocracy, speaking for the separation of church and state as well as for complete religious freedom.  On October 9, 1635, after being arrested, tried, and convicted, Williams was banished to serve his sentence in England. The authorities allowed the sentence to be delayed, for Williams had become ill.  Finally in January 1636, he escaped to Seekonk, and without the care of an Indian woman known as Margaret, he would have died during the trip.
In time, and in part due to his having learned the language of the Narragansetts, he negotiated with Chief Canonicus(1565?-1647), and  made an agreement that Williams could set up a camp as long as he would make items available to the tribe from his trading post.  Here is another irony: nobody knows that both Roger Williams and Chaddus Brown were both trading post merchants.   At the end of his life, he became destitute, but he still wrote: “It was not price nor money that could have purchased Rhode Island. Rhode Island was purchased by love.”
That is all that can I fit into the limits of this essay, but you can contact me for more. You can visit the fine Rangers at the Roger Williams National Memorial. The Gaspee Days Committee offers a brilliant set of archives about the Burning of the Gaspee (http://gaspee.org/#Contents)
Brainstorming Essay
written for the Roger Williams Memorial Anniversary
Re-Dedication Celebration  June 18, 2019
April 3, 2019

“Roger Williams” is a name that most Rhode Islanders.  We know that he was a minister, the Founder of the Baptist Church in America, and that he had something to do with the separation of the church and state.  We also know that people have named a park, a hospital, a university, and lots of streets, businesses, and agencies.  For the most part, though, no one knows what an incredibly brilliant person he was, and to what extent we Americans owe to him for his life and work.

Given that reality, how should we celebrate the rededication of his and his wife’s burial location?  No one even knows that is where he and Mary Williams are buried.  The place is better known as Prospect Park—nothing to do with Roger Williams.  So, I would suggest that we have to approach this celebration not as an event with a beginning and an end, but rather as the beginning of a long term educational program to bring Roger Williams to life in Rhode as the hero, visionary, and creator that he is.

I would prefer to call the event a Kick-Off of the Roger Williams Ten Year Project…well, that might be a little long.  The project would be to take subjects and/or events that occurred in RW’s life, the history Rhode Island, and the creation of the American Constitution and spread them out over as many years as it takes for the information to reach all of the state.   Roger’s life was a mysterious journey from being a child prodigy in linguistics to being an amanuensis for Judge Coke to a brilliant scholar to a stint as a domestic chaplain to  being the “most-hated person” in the Bay Colony to the inventor of Rhode Island to the creator of constitutionalism.  Sweeping? Yes.  Wellworth learning?  Yes.  Making all of Rhode Island take pride in his creation, and to learn to take to heart the meaning of  “Lively Experiment.”   Then, as time passes, we can tackle the fantastic connections between Roger Williams, John Locke, Oliver Cromwell, and John Milton, too!

To know about Roger Williams should be and will be the same as knowing about Washington, Jefferson, and Adams.    If they ever put a fifth face on Mount Rushmore should be Roger Williams.  That may sound odd or even silly, but that is only because the truth about RW has been hidden, edited, and obscured.  We can change that now.

You see, there is much made about the results of RW’s work without much concentration on how it occurred.  For instance, most of the emphasis in his biographies cover the time that that he arrived in the Bay Colony up his visit to England in 1552.  As I have said before, the time as a stenographer played much more importance in his life than is given credit.  Then, the years after 1552 are pretty much ignored.  This is too bad, for it was the years that RW served as President that he had to use all of his strength to help the people of RI survive serious threat to thier existence.  After 1657, there is little to nothing mentioned about RW’s life.  He disappears.  The life, though, of Washington and other founders, because their whole life played roles in how we appreciate their lives.  Further, there is a need to explain and understand RW’s actions after King Phillip’s War—where RW participated in the sale of Indians int slavery.  Dying the 1680s, he was poor and served as a toll collector at a local bridge. (I learned that from the RI Experience owners.)

Suggestions for Celebration Event:

1. Parade.  We could have a parade down Benefit St. or South/North Main Street up to Prospect St   We could have a carriage with two “ancient coffins” in it.  (Sorry if that sounds crazy).  After the Rededication ceremony, the parade could  be a short walk from the Prospect Park to the RW National Memorial where we could hold a large community event with entertainment, games, crafts, and historical activities—maybe actors in costumes. This is, of course, if they would like to do be part of this.

2.  We might read from the two Agreements of 1637 in full or an edited parts, for the agreements give explicit statement about the freedoms that Rhode Islanders would have.  Hearing portions of these documents spoken will leave an indelible memory for those who hear it.  Here is the sort one:  “….We whose names are hereunder, desirous to inhabit in the town of Providence, do promise to subject ourselves in active and passive obedience to all such orders or agreements as shall be made for the public good of the body in an orderly way, by the major consent of present inhabitants, masters of families, incorporated together in a Towne fellowship, and others whom they shall admit unto them only in civil things.
[Signed by Richard Scott and twelve others.….”

3, It would be great to have representatives of indigenous communities participate.  If we could get a canoe, then we could show how RW got around Narragansett Bay.  Too, the colony used wampum throughout the 17th Century and there is a Wampum creator who could discuss or demonstrate how wampum was used.  Histories of the era ignore this important aspect of the relation between he colonists and thier commerce.  It should be noted, too , that Dr. John Barry wrote that RW was one of  only two colonists who learned Narragansett (Now called Algonquin).  That seems odd, but if true, then we see here a terrible selection on the part of the colonists.  They chose not to know their neighbors.

4.  Handouts:
a. Summary of high points of RW’s life for adults.
b.  Reading/Coloring book for children. I wrote and had artists illustrate many of these from my educational puppet shows. (BUGS Better Understanding through Guidance in Schools).
The back covers had letters to parents in English, Spanish, Portuguese and Hmong.
c.  Map of “Roger’s Places”  spring,  slate rock, East Providence viewing spot, home location (In front of memorial, trading posts in Providence and North Kingstown, and more.
It may be too late to do any large printing,  but maybe we could afford in the future.

5.  In addition to Indian representation, Ray Rickman’s non-profit, Stages of Freedom, opened a bookstore/museum in 2017, and there are lots of interesting materials their.  Web Site:  www.stagesoffreedom.org  The organization has made substantial advancements in educating us about slavery in New England.

6.  Roger Williams Day:  Two years ago, I concluded that we needed a Roger Williams Day for us here in Rhode Island, and possibly nation wide.  A national Jewish fraternity, Zeta Beta Tau, celebrates Roger Williams Day on March 22 every year.  I have not been able to determine why that day was picked, but the link for the Day is: https://zbt.org/undergraduates/zbts-heritage/roger-williams/,  I thought about making this June date for the day, and that would meant that we would have yearly celebration.  I think that this would not work, for the Gaspee Days celebration takes much of June.  I have thought that we could determine the best guess date for Roger’s crossing into what would become Rhode Island.  RW wrote that he was ill and in the care of  friends and Indians for fourteen weeks.  If he became incapacitated wrote on January 10th, 1636, then this would make his “Day”  April 26th, 1636.   Perhaps, all we could form a group or committee to explore this Day!

7.  Over the years, the RI Foundation, Committee for the Humanities and other agencies have funded what might be called “all-school” projects.  One year, a “History” boxes were created to be placed in every elementary school classroom in Rhode Island.   The provided activities were designed to be grade appropriate.  Another year, the Gaspee Affair was the subject of a box.  It was created for the older students.  It had a copy of John Brown’s business card, a playing card, a short book about he Affair, a “copy” of the parchment with the demands of  King George to find the Raiders, and other items.  Since our goal would be to promote the appreciation for the life and work of Roger Williams, I would for a program for all grades with a growing staggered curriculum from young students to 5th grade.

8.  The Committee on the Humanities have funded presentations for schools by actors with actors playing Duddingston, John Brown, Roger Williams, Anne Hutchinson, and others.  Usually, these programs are selected for a specific grades, and can be done yearly.  I have heard that videos might be created for this project, but I do not believe videos are a good way to communicate to children.  They might work for teachers, librarians, and other professionals who would be part of the team providing information for our children.  We could include Dr. Barry’s Youtube Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6O6c48wHCzs&t=582s.

9.  Possible supporters: Here is the list that I use to send out information about The Roger Williams Educational Foundation which I am trying to create. https://www.gofundme.com/roger-williams-study-group.  I have also created a MeetUp group to meet monthly: https://www.meetup.com/Roger-Williams-Philosophy-Politics-and-Religion-Meetup/
Karen Mellor OLIS Director karen.mellor@olis.ri.gov
Laren Paola; RI Foundation Carter Roger Williams Initiative lpaola@rifoundation.org,
RI Historical Society: execdirector@rihs.org,
Linford Fisher, author of Decoding Roger Williams, linfordfisher@gmail.com,
Lane Sparkman RI SOS lsparkman@sos.ri.gov,
John McNiff, Ranger NPS Roger Williams Memorial  John_mcniff@nps.gov
Conclusions
People in Rhode Island and in America generally do not  know about or appreciate the life and works of Roger Williams.  Williams was a unique and brilliant theologian, constitution creator, and political theorist who established many of the very foundations of our life today.  He was also an enthusiastic and successful trading post owner, one of only two colonists who learned the Narragansett language, and a great writer.   His ideas inspired John Locke which led to the declarations of separation of church and state by America’s  Founders.  This Gofundme project is to provide the funds to create a non-profit corporation which will develop programs and writings about Roger Williams, and help Rhode Islanders understand his work and the profound impact that he had on our lives in Rhode Island and America.  We will hold monthly meetings to discuss Williams’ work, create a cable television show, create events such as a Roger Williams Day, support publishing efforts, and establish a central digital and physical center for Williams’ studies.  The funds raised here will go to the fees for registering and establishing a 501(C)3 corporation, purchase office equipment, and serve as a base for our first promotional efforts.  We will recruit members, do fundraising, and create programs to visit schools , libraries, and other educational institutions.    Our goal is to change and improve the appreciation of Roger Williams.
You can see more at my blog:
Blog: Roger Williams: American Hero https://rogerwilliamsamericanhero.blogspot.com.
Here are essays and Letters to the Editors that have been published:
Gaspee/Roger Williams Storytelling Presentation
September 10, 2017
http://www.marcwkohler.com/a-burning-of-the-gaspee-storytelling-presentation/

This summer, we opened The Burning of the Gaspee Storytelling Presentation.  For those from Rhode Island, you have probably heard about the Gaspee, and this is just for you!!  On June 9th of 1772, Captain Benjamin Lindsay, Captain of the sloop Hannah, sailed out of Newport, and it was soon followed by the Gaspee, a tax collecting ship commanded by Lieutenant William Duddingston (1740-1817).

What ensued is considered the first act of resistance committed by colonists against the rule of King George III.   The Gaspee was well-hated by the people of Rhode Island.  When Duddingston visited Providence, he had to wear a costume.  The chase ends when the hated Gaspee becomes caught on a sandbar off Namquit Point in Warwick. (Now called Gaspee Point).  After a meeting in Providence, about sixty colonists got on boats, sailed to Namquit Point, removed the crew, and burned the Gaspee to its gunwales.
The Burning of the Gaspee Storytelling Presentation includes the history of the burning of the HMS Gaspee in 1772, and includes an introduction to the life and accomplishments of Roger Williams. Rhode Islanders do not know the details of the Gaspee event that well.  One of the major points of this historic episode was that King George ordered that the perpetrators of the raid be apprehended and shipped to England to be tried in a Royal Court and NOT in the colony where the accused lived–where they would have been tried by a jury of their peers.  This demand was the match that lit the flame that would become the bonfire of Revolution. By the fall of 1772, Samuel Adams started the Committee of Correspondence which spent months discussing the King’s demands about the Gaspee Raiders, It was that Committee that created the foundation for our Revolution. Reverend John Allen’s pamphlet “An Oration on the Beauties of Liberty” (December 1772), was one of the most revolutionary speeches of the day. He mentions the Gaspee and the trial struggles no less than six times. We use stories, some “boat” puppets, and songs to help the children learn things that will change their attitudes towards our past. They will gain knowledge and pride about the Gaspee Raiders and Roger Williams.   Roger Williams?  Yes, at one point during the debate in the Tavern, one Raider asks why that have to do anything.  I then tell how John Brown explained the legacy of the life and ideas of Roger Williams.  Born in 1603, Williams was picked to do stenography for the British Supreme Court at the age of eight to ten.  After being sent to the best schools, Roger graduates knowing Latin, Hebrew, Greek, French, and Dutch!  He then became a Puritan Separatist minister.  Oliver Cromwell was his cousin.  He immigrated to Massachusetts to convert Indians,  And then, after founding the Providence Plantations, he writes the first dictionary and cultural study of and American Indian tribe.   John Brown finishes with all the great inspirations for Rhode Islanders to be independent,  Then, we all go to burn the Gaspee!
Ms. Lianne Masucci of the Westerly Library and Wilcox Park wrote this recommendation for the presentation: “…Marc’s presentations are fun and engaging as well as informational. He interacts well with the kids and sparks their interest in the history of Rhode Island. Marc’s presentation teaches children facts without being overwhelmingly informational. Overall his show was a great addition to our summer reading program…”
This storytelling session is best for 1-6 grades, runs 50 minutes, and can be done for audiences up to 150. A discussion follows each presentation.
Each presentation includes a publicity packet and poster, and a Teacher’s Aid to be used to prepare audience  before the Presentation. The Captain Marcus Pirate Show toured RI libraries in 2007.  See the full list of Storytelling presentations at marcwkohler.com.
For bookings, contact us at 401-441-2129  or marcwkohler@aol.com.

ROGER WILLIAMS WORKS
A Key into the Language of America known as A help to the Language of the Natives in that part of America called New England. (1643)
Mr. Cotton’s Letters Lately Printed, Examined and Answered. It is a copy of a letter that John Cotton wrote to him, with his answers against Mr. Cotton’s views. 1644
Queries of highest consideration, proposed to the five Holland ministers and the Scotch Commissioners (so called) : upon occasion of their late printed apologies for themselves and their churches. In all humble reverence presented to the view of the Right 1644
The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, Discussed in a Conference between Truth and Peace 1644
Christenings make not Christians, or A Briefe Discourse concerning that name Heathen, commonly given to the Indians. As also concerning that great point of their Conversion. 1645
A Key into the Language of America known as A help to the Language of the Natives in that part of America called New England. (1643)
Mr. Cotton’s Letters Lately Printed, Examined and Answered. It is a copy of a letter that John Cotton wrote to him, with his answers against Mr. Cotton’s views. 1644
Queries of highest consideration, proposed to the five Holland ministers and the Scotch Commissioners (so called) : upon occasion of their late printed apologies for themselves and their churches. In all humble reverence presented to the view of the Right 1644
The Bloudy Tenent of Persecution, for Cause of Conscience, Discussed in a Conference between Truth and Peace 1644
Christenings make not Christians, or A Briefe Discourse concerning that name Heathen, commonly given to the Indians. As also concerning that great point of their Conversion. 1645
The Bloody Tenent Yet More Bloody: By Mr Cottons endevour to wash It white in the Blood of the Lambe of whose precious Blood, spilt in the Bloud of his Servants; and of the Blood of Millions spilt in former and later Wars for Conscience sake, that most Bloody Tenent of Persecution for cause of Conscience, upon, a second Tryal 1652
Experiments of spiritual life & health, and their preservatives in which the weakest child of God may get assurance of his spirituall life and blessednesse 1652
The fourth paper presented by Maior Butler to the honourable committee of Parliament for the propagating the gospel of Christ Jesus : which paper was humbly owned, and was, and is attended to be made good by Maj. Butler, Mr. Charles Vane, Col. Danvers, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Wall, and Mr. Turner ; also a letter from Mr. Goad, to Major Butler, upon occasion of the said paper and proposals ; together with a testimony to the said fourth paper by way of explanation upon the four proposals of it : Unto which is subjoyned the fifteen proposals of the ministers. 1652
The Hireling Ministry None of Christ’s: Or a Discourse Touching the Propagating of the Gospel of Christ Jesus 1652
The Examiner defended, in a Fair and Sober Answer to the Two and twenty Questions which lately examined the Author of Zeal Examined 1652
George Fox Digg’d out of his Burrowes, or, An offer of disputation on fourteen proposals made this last summer 1672 unto G.Fox 1676 Experiments of spiritual life & health, and their preservatives in which the weakest child of God may get assurance of his spirituall life and blessednesse 1652
The fourth paper presented by Maior Butler to the honourable committee of Parliament for the propagating the gospel of Christ Jesus : which paper was humbly owned, and was, and is attended to be made good by Maj. Butler, Mr. Charles Vane, Col. Danvers, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Wall, and Mr. Turner ; also a letter from Mr. Goad, to Major Butler, upon occasion of the said paper and proposals ; together with a testimony to the said fourth paper by way of explanation upon the four proposals of it : uUnto which is subjoyned the fifteen proposals of the ministers. 1652
The Hireling Ministry None of Christ’s: Or a Discourse Touching the Propagating of the Gospel of Christ Jesus 1652
The Examiner defended, in a Fair and Sober Answer to the Two and twenty Questions which lately examined the Author of Zeal Examined 1652
George Fox Digg’d out of his Burrowes, or, An offer of disputation on fourteen proposals made this last summer 1672 unto G.Fox 1676