Morgan Edwards was a pastor, scholar, and a builder of institutions (Rhode Island College, later Brown University). In the area of Baptist history, Edwards sought to gather historical materials toward a history of the Baptists in the American colonies to acquaint Baptists with one another and forge a national denomination. Volume XII contains a historical introduction followed by transcriptions of the historical materials that Edwards left to posterity. There are historical materials for nine states, two of which were published in his lifetime (Pennsylvania [1771] and New Jersey [1792]). Six historical notebooks remain and are presented as appendices. Where possible, previously published editions of these works are presented with transcriptions of the originals as they appear in manuscript form. Of particular interest are the notes added by series editor William H. Brackney shortly before his death, which link the previous volumes in the Baptists in Early North America series together.