To modern, 20th century Americans, Roger Williams is the one "shining light" in the midst of that whole sorry "darkness" which was the Puritan era in this country. But ole Roger "put 'em in their place" and single-handedly made this country a great place to live and rear chllin'". According to the accepted story, the Puritans were an extremely intolerant folk, paranoid over anyone who didn't believe precisely as they, and utterly unwilling to consider differing views. Because of this, they cast out Roger Williams (that gracious, sweet-spirited man who only desired religious liberty). He was banished from Massachusetts Bay, merely because he was a Baptist and forced to flee from his persecutors by making an heroic escape into a harsh, New England winter.