When I studied US History both during my Bible College days + my post graduate work + my times of teaching it to JH-HS students, I came across some interesting facts concerning the role Baptists played not only in our War for Independence, but also the period of time following it. Here's some few things I found regarding this. Granted that Baptists did NOT play that much of a leadership role during that time period, they DID play some interesting role(s): John Hart was a Baptist deacon from NJ. His name appears on our Declaration of Independence. Moreover, he practically lost most all of his holdings in NJ (They were confiscated by the British during their occupation of NJ.), he, being quite old, eventually paid the ultimate price for Independence when he fell fatally ill after being chased time and time again by the British. I went to his gravesite and read of his vocal opposition to the King....He probably took the lead in promoting what was nominally a "Loyalist" colony into one which suffered greatly during that time period. When our constitution was in its formative stages, in VA a Baptist pastor/evangelist stood to win VA's selection to the Constitutional convention....which even before it convened was torn from side-to-side about the role our national vs states' would play. Since VA had been a prime mover for Independence, that delegate's popularity with the other 12 delegations would most likely be a critical one. VA's selection came down to either this Baptist (Who wasn't very well known outside of VA.) or Thomas Jefferson. To save the convention from being hopelessly deadlocked, he stepped down to give Jefferson--a well-known figure to almost all the delegates--that position to Jefferson. Due to the opposition to having a "State" church not only in VA, but throughout our fledgling nation, it was Baptists who led the fight for requiring no "religious test" for our constitution as well as any federal office seekers--even if one's religion was in opposition to the Baptists. And here's another tidbit I found (& actually stood at) about VA's Patrick Henry. While Patrick Henry may not have been a Baptist, how many secular history texts tell you that his "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech was made in a church's auditorium? If you go to Richmond VA, you can see that spot (and even stand on it!) at St John's Episcopal Church. How's that for the secular humanists who claim that Christianity played no role in America's independence. Moreover, the majority of British Baptists sided with their colonial brothers in opposition to the Brits occupying & fighting against American independence. In the 20th century. as best I can tell, there were only three Baptists who held the office of POTUS. How successful each may have been I guess is still up for grabs, OTOH to claim that Baptists had NOTHING to do with our nation, to me indicates a rather short-sighted view. Selah.
