Second Great Awakening

Definition

The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival movement that occurred in the United States during the early 19th century, characterized by widespread revivals, camp meetings, and an emphasis on personal piety and social reform. This movement played a crucial role in shaping American religious landscape, influencing various reform movements, including abolitionism and women's rights.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Second Great Awakening began in the late 18th century but gained significant momentum in the 1800s, reaching its peak around the 1820s to 1840s.
2. It featured prominent preachers like Charles Finney and Lyman Beecher who encouraged personal conversion experiences and emphasized individual responsibility for salvation.
3. This movement fostered a spirit of optimism and belief in human potential, leading many to participate in social reforms such as temperance, education improvement, and the abolition of slavery.
4. Women's roles expanded during the Second Great Awakening as they became active participants in religious revivals and social reform movements, leading to greater advocacy for women's rights.
5. The Second Great Awakening also contributed to the establishment of new denominations and sects, such as the Mormons and the Adventists, reflecting diverse interpretations of faith.

Review Questions

• How did the Second Great Awakening influence individual beliefs and community practices in America?
  • The Second Great Awakening encouraged individuals to seek personal relationships with God through emotional experiences and active participation in worship. This led to a surge in revival meetings and camp gatherings where communities came together to share their faith. The focus on personal piety also fostered an environment where social issues could be addressed collectively, resulting in heightened community involvement in various reform movements.
• Discuss the role of key figures in the Second Great Awakening and how they contributed to its spread across America.
  • Prominent figures such as Charles Finney and Lyman Beecher played essential roles in spreading the Second Great Awakening through their passionate preaching and emphasis on personal conversion. Finney's innovative techniques, including emotional appeals and public invitations for conversion, attracted large audiences. These leaders also organized revivals across different regions, helping to popularize revivalism and encourage grassroots movements focused on social reforms like abolitionism and temperance.
• Evaluate the long-term effects of the Second Great Awakening on American society and its connection to future reform movements.
  • The Second Great Awakening had profound long-term effects on American society by fostering a culture of activism and moral reform that would shape future movements. Its emphasis on individual agency inspired people to address social injustices, which directly connected to the abolitionist movement, women's suffrage efforts, and other reform initiatives. The legacy of this religious revival laid a foundation for later social justice movements by embedding a sense of moral duty within American culture that continues to influence contemporary activism.

Related terms

Revivalism:

A practice within evangelical Christianity focused on renewing and revitalizing faith through emotional preaching, communal worship, and enthusiastic participation.

Camp Meeting: A form of Christian gathering that brought people together for several days to engage in worship, fellowship, and often emotional preaching, significantly popularized during the Second Great Awakening.

Transcendentalism:

A philosophical and literary movement that emerged in the early 19th century, emphasizing individual intuition and spirituality over traditional religious doctrines, often influenced by the religious fervor of the Second Great Awakening.