Providence Civil Compact
| Providence Civil Compact | |
|---|---|
Providence Civil Compact | |
| Created | 1637 |
| Ratified | c. 1638-1640 |
| Superseded | August 6 [O.S. July 27], 1640 |
| Location | Providence, Rhode Island |
| Author(s) |
|
| Signatories | 13 inhabitants of Providence |
| Purpose | To limit governmental authority to "civil things" only |
The Providence Civil Compact (sometimes referred to as the "Scott Petition") was a foundational agreement signed by thirteen settlers of the Towne of Providence (now Providence, Rhode Island), in which they pledged obedience to the decisions of local government—but only in "civil things." This early assertion of limited government authority is one of the first known declarations in colonial America to endorse the principle of separation of church and state, and it laid the groundwork for religious liberty in Rhode Island.