By the 1630s, Baptists crossed the pond to America. Roger Williams—the guy who got kicked out of Massachusetts for being too wild—founded the first Baptist church in America in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1638.
Williams was a troublemaker in the best way. He believed in total separation of church and state. No government meddling in who got baptized or how. That idea? Very Baptist. Also very American.
Baptist History ⋆ NBC Perth
Fast-forward a hundred years, and Baptists exploded during the First Great Awakening (1740s). Preachers like John Leland rode horses across the frontier, shouting about grace and dunking people in rivers. It was sweaty, loud, and kind of amazing.
