Baptist hymnody, USA

Baptist hymnody, USA 17th and 18th Centuries Baptist beginnings in the American colonies occurred with the establishment of churches at Providence (1639) and Newport (1644), Rhode Island. By the end of the 17th century there were 24 churches, all but one of them located in New England or the middle colonies. These early congregations were principally formed by British immigrants and their song practices generally reflected those of Baptists in the Mother Country (see Baptist hymnody, British*). Some groups—including the Providence and Newport congregations—apparently sang from their founding, but the practice was laid aside when groups of non-singing Baptists (usually General Six-Principle...