The exile of Roger Williams from Puritan society was the catalyst of the first separation of church and state debates in the United States. Originally arriving to Boston and serving as a religious leader in Massachusetts, Williams was exiled for primarily religious reasons. Shortly afterward, he founded what would become the state of Rhode Island which became a refuge for those exiled from Puritan society, including the likes of famed activist and fellow outlaw Anne Hutchinson.  Rhode Island was founded with the intention that it would be a refuge from judgmental Puritan society, a place of peace between all people, and a place where personal religious practices and state agendas would be kept separate. In this way, Rhode Island's state motto, "Hope", represents its founding perfectly.