For many years, I loved and used the Tapestry of Grace curriculum. We created so many dear-to-my-heart memories around those books, including this inspiring story about Roger Williams.
Finding Providence is a story of faith and freedom!
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Finding Providence
Book: Finding Providence
Author: Avi
Illustrator: James Watling
Finding Providence is an inspirational story about Roger Williams and his fight for religious freedom. Interestingly, the book is written from the point of view of Roger’s daughter who seems to be around 11 or 12 years old.
This is a true story of how Roger Williams was forced to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635 due to his belief that a man should have the freedom to join the Church. Despite being a devout Christian, he believed that each man should have the ability to choose his religion for himself.
Because he was vocal about his beliefs, he was ordered to sail back to England. After a tip from a friend, Williams escaped to the wilderness only to be rescued by the Narragansett Indians.
This is a beautiful story of a man that stood up for his convictions, a fair Indian tribe that gave him refuge, and a God that protected him and his family every step of the way.
Learning Ideas for Finding Providence
If you want to use this book as the jumping off point of a unit study, here are a few ideas to get you on your way.
→ Roger Williams founded the area of Providence, Rhode Island. Find this city on the map and calculate how far you live from Providence.
→ Browse through the information at The Roger Williams National Memorial Park’s website. If you’re local, make sure you add the park to your field trip list!
→ Roger Williams and his family were Puritans. Research what Puritans believed and why they left England in the first place.
→ Have your child look up the word ‘dissenter’ in the dictionary and write down the definition. Would this term apply to Williams? Why or why not?
→ Read the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. How does it relate to the account of Roger Williams? Just a side note – Williams left the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635, and the First Amendment wasn’t the law of the land until December 1791 when the the Bill of Rights was adopted.
→ Research the Narragansett Indians. What territory did they occupy? How large was their tribe? What was their way of life like?
→ Spend some time talking about freedom of religion. Here are a few questions you and your child can ponder:
— How would your life be different if your family didn’t have freedom of religion? Would you notice a difference?
— The Church of England had the authority to demand that all citizens belong to the Church. Was this fair? Why or why not?
— Roger Williams sacrificed for his belief that all men should be able to worship as they please. Do you know any other people – famous or not – that have sacrificed and suffered for their religious beliefs?
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