The Junior Ranger Badge Program is a great way to get your kids involved with visiting National Parks and National Historic Places. For a look into the ideas that shaped our nation, the Roger Williams Memorial in Providence, RI is the place to go.
Who was Roger Williams?
Roger Williams was one of the most influential characters in the founding days of our country. Coming over from England to the foundling Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630 he first settled as a Puritan Minister there. The town of Salem and it’s Puritan Church were not sufficiently removed from the Church of England for Williams. He also forged strong relationships with the native people living in the area, and realized that the English charter for the colonies did not include any purchase of the land, but was simply an occupation. Amidst controversy and charges of Heresy, Williams fled Salem in the middle of winter, and after walking 55 miles through the snow, was sheltered by the local Wampanoags until spring.
After a rough start, Roger Williams managed to acquire some land from the Narragansett Indians, which he named Providence. God’s Gift. There he established a settlement for those who wanted to be free in beliefs and body. This settlement utilized majority vote democracy for governing civil matters, and was the first place in modern history where citizenship and religion were separate, thus providing the template of religious liberty and separation of church and state that we enjoy today. A true front runner for liberty and equality, Williams passed a law in 1652 to prevent slavery in Providence, allowed women to own land and vote in the colony, and maintained friendly relations with the Narragansett Indians. He learned their language and even published the first English translation dictionary of any native American language.
Where is Roger Williams National Memorial?
If you type in Roger Williams into Google Maps you might have a harder time finding your destination than anticipated. Being such a storied leader of colonial freedoms, many things in Rhode Island are named after Williams. Including a large park that is not part of the National Park Service. It is beautiful, includes a fantastic zoo, and I highly recommend visiting it in the same day or trip as the Memorial. They are only a few miles apart in downtown Providence. The Roger Williams Memorial is located at 282 North Main Street in Providence, quite close to the State House, and has a small parking lot for visitors.
So How do you get your Junior Ranger Badge?
The Parks Service Rangers at Roger Williams were very helpful and informative. They were very excited about the history there and happy to help the kids out with questions in completing their Junior Ranger Books. There was a short video to watch, which was quite eye-opening to just how progressive Providence’s liberties were under Williams compared to the other colonies in that era. Then a walk around the park outside brings you to information displays showing the views and history of the settlement. The well on the Providence Spring is still in existence (dry now), though some people had recently thrown trash into it when we visited.
Once you’ve completed your walking tour (about 1/2 hour) you can sit down at one of the many picnic tables and complete your booklets. It is an easy Junior Ranger Badge to complete in an hour or two, but incredibly rich in history. Also, there is a walking tour available to visit several other nearby locations in Providence that while not physically in the park, are considered connected to it as National Historic Places. Brochures can be procured in the Ranger Station and signing up for a tour would be well worth the time.
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For more National Park Adventures and Junior Ranger Badges, check these out!
How to get a free park pass
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