The SBC almost totally dominates the news about Baptists, causing many to erroneously equate the name 'Baptist' with 'reactionary' or 'dominionist'. This is unfortunate, because historically, Baptists have not been reactionary.

As you know, Roger Williams established Rhode Island and the Providence Plantation in order to escape the Puritan-led (and dominated) government of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Baptists leaders also expressed grave doubts about the proposed Constitution, because of its lack of language explicitly permitting freedom of conscience and forbidding establishment of state religions. Only by persuading the leaders of his intention to amend the proposed Constitution to cure these defects was James Madison able to persuade Baptist leaders to support adoption of the Constitution.

Baptists, along with the Congregationalists and the Society of Friends, came to oppose slavery and established the Underground Railroad. It was these actions which led to a formal 'split' among Baptists in 1841, and establishment of the SBC. After the split, both Northern (now ABC-USA), General and Freewill Baptists opposed the Kansas-Nebraska Act and enforcement of the Fugitive Slave Act.

Non-SBC Baptists have also traditionally been pacifists, although this view has evolved somewhat since WW1, with most now recognizing the legitimacy of use military force in cases of genuine self-defense. Seldom remembered is the fact that American Baptists were heavily criticized during the Vietnam War for helping young American draftees to flee to Canada, Sweden and other countries.

(Yes, I love talking about my church!)