Sacred Honor Study Guide, Colony 3: Rhode Island

Rhode Island was founded by an exile. Roger Williams was driven out of Massachusetts for his convictions and built a colony on an idea that was radical for its time: that conscience cannot be coerced, and that government has no business policing a man's faith.

This guide introduces Rhode Island's two signers and the fiercely independent colony that sent them. Stephen Hopkins was nearly seventy and shaking with palsy when he signed. He steadied his writing hand with his other hand and said the words that echo through this whole series: "My hand trembles, but my heart does not." William Ellery was a late bloomer who came to Congress in his late forties and deliberately watched the face of every man who signed, recording their courage and their fear.

The Hero of Your Story moment belongs to Stephen Hopkins, the old man whose body failed him and whose resolve did not.

INSIDE THIS GUIDE:

• The Rhode Island Colony Introduction
• Profiles of Stephen Hopkins and William Ellery
• A Primary Source Encounter in the founders' own words
• Explorer Questions (grades four through six) and Challenger Questions (grades seven through twelve)
• Vocabulary Builder, Discussion Questions, and a hands-on Activity
• A Faith Connection drawn from the colony's story
• The Hero of Your Story moment and a student reflection page

Honest history, devotional depth, and real conversation for your family or classroom. A branded navy-and-gold PDF in the Sacred Honor series.

Part of the 250th Anniversary Founders Reference System. Save by purchasing the complete thirteen-colony set.