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This dissertation argues that the value and meaning of Baptist religious liberty can be most clearly understood when viewed as a historical trajectory. By analyzing the similarities and differences among the thoughts and legacies of six major Baptists, this study contends that the principle of Baptist religious liberty and the separation of church and state not only originated with believer’s baptism but also found full expression in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Within this trajectory of development, three key pairs of Baptists—John Smyth and Thomas Helwys; Roger Williams and John Clarke; and Isaac Backus and John Leland—each made distinctive and essential contributions to advancing religious liberty in their respective contexts. Finally, the dissertation suggests that this trajectory continues to offer practical insight for the present through a thorough understanding of their contributions.