The Second Great Awakening - part 3

Second Great Awakening: Overview

  • Time Period: Early 19th century, primarily 1820-1840.

  • Context: Reflected broader social changes, including expansion of democracy and territory in America.

  • Focus: Religious revival, societal responses to changes in business and community dynamics.

Outgrowths of the Second Great Awakening

New Religious Movements

  • Nature of Movements:

    • Promoted personal relationships with God.

    • Accessible to everyone regardless of gender, race, or social status.

  • Shakers:

    • Emphasized simplicity and celibacy.

    • Gradually declined due to celibacy practices; still a few living members today.

    • Known for ecstatic experiences during worship, also reflected in their communal dances.

  • Oneida Community:

    • Founded by John Humphrey Noyes.

    • Advocated for 'complex marriage' or free love.

    • Members had sexual freedom without exclusive attachments.

    • Produced Oneida Silverware, which survived until 2006 as a commercial outcome of their communal efforts.

  • Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints):

    • Founded by Joseph Smith after experiencing a divine vision leading to the Book of Mormon.

    • Faced persecution, especially due to initial polygamist practices.

    • Led by Brigham Young to Utah, forming a prominent religious community today.

Major Reform Movements

  1. Temperance Movement:

    • Aimed to reduce or eliminate alcohol consumption.

    • Linked to the idea of building a stable, godly society free from the negative impacts of alcohol.

  2. Abolitionist Movement:

    • Strongly associated with the Second Great Awakening.

    • Prompted by the belief in the inherent value and souls of all individuals, including enslaved people.

    • Highlighted by figures such as Harriet Beecher Stowe (daughter of preacher Lyman Beecher), author of Uncle Tom's Cabin.

    • Viewed slavery as a moral perversion and a distortion of familial values.

    • Spurred activism for the end of slavery leading up to the Civil War.

Connection to Broader Social Changes

  • The Second Great Awakening illustrated how religion intertwined with political and economic transformations.

  • Demonstrated complexity in historical analysis where distinct domains (politics, religion, culture, economics) crossed paths in societal developments.

  • Historiographic perspectives:

    • Some view the religious revival as a means of social control for an industrial workforce.

    • Others attribute it to shifting demographics and power structures.

Lasting Impact

  • The Second Great Awakening led to significant religious and social movements that continue to impact contemporary American life today.

  • Efforts to create a better society and the notion of 'heaven on earth' contributed to ongoing dialogues about morality, society, and civic responsibility.