Great Awakening Religious Revival Starting from 1740

Definition

The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals that swept through the American colonies in the 18th century, beginning around 1740. It emphasized personal faith, emotional connections to religion, and a direct relationship with God, often challenging established religious authorities. This movement played a significant role in shaping the religious landscape of colonial America and had lasting effects on various social structures, including the dynamics of slavery.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Great Awakening fostered a spirit of individualism and personal connection to faith, undermining traditional authority within established churches.
2. It resulted in the growth of new denominations and religious movements, including Methodism and Baptism, which appealed to diverse populations, including enslaved people seeking spiritual fulfillment.
3. Preachers of the Great Awakening often addressed social issues, including the moral conditions of society and slavery, promoting discussions on freedom and equality.
4. The revivalist movement led to increased participation in church life among African Americans and created separate congregations for Black worshippers.
5. The Great Awakening contributed to a growing sense of American identity, as shared religious experiences united people across regional and social boundaries.

Review Questions

• How did the Great Awakening influence social hierarchies within colonial America, particularly in relation to slavery?
  • The Great Awakening challenged existing social hierarchies by promoting ideas of individual faith and personal connection with God. This shift allowed enslaved individuals to engage with religion more actively and seek their own spiritual experiences. As a result, new congregations emerged for Black worshippers, fostering a sense of community and shared identity that transcended racial boundaries. This movement encouraged discussions about morality and freedom, leading some to question the institution of slavery itself.
• Analyze how key figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield shaped the course and impact of the Great Awakening.
  • Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield were pivotal in energizing the Great Awakening through their powerful preaching styles. Edwards emphasized personal repentance and emotional engagement with faith, while Whitefield's charismatic sermons reached vast audiences across the colonies. Their ability to connect with people on an emotional level helped ignite widespread interest in religious renewal, resulting in increased church attendance and the formation of new religious denominations that shaped America's spiritual landscape.
• Evaluate the long-term effects of the Great Awakening on American society and its connection to emerging democratic ideals in the years leading up to independence.
  • The Great Awakening had profound long-term effects on American society by promoting values such as individualism, emotional expression in religion, and questioning authority. These ideas contributed to a culture that emphasized personal liberty and equality before God, which resonated with emerging democratic ideals. As colonists began to see themselves as equals under God, this ideological shift laid groundwork for challenging political authority as well. The revival fostered a sense of unity among disparate groups in colonial America, creating an environment conducive to collective action leading up to independence.

Related terms

Jonathan Edwards:

A prominent preacher during the Great Awakening known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons, especially 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' which emphasized the need for personal repentance.

George Whitefield:

An influential English preacher whose charismatic preaching style attracted large crowds in America during the Great Awakening, helping to spread revivalist fervor.

Evangelicalism: A branch of Protestant Christianity that emphasizes the necessity of being 'born again' and spreading the gospel, closely linked to the movements during the Great Awakening.