Key Concepts and Events: The Religious Revivals of the Early 19th Century

Baptist Church Structure in the 1790s

• Decisions regarding church building and minister ordination made at the congregational level.
• Baptist ministers in the 18th century were often uneducated; ordination required only a call from faith.
• No hierarchical approval needed; local congregation validation was sufficient.

Methodist Preaching and Structure

• The Methodist Church was hierarchical but spread through itinerant preachers (circuit riders).
• Circuit riders traveled to preach; early ministers were not allowed to marry.
• They preached anywhere, from fields to taverns, distributing literature.

Camp Meetings

• Camp meetings involved collaborative religious revivals often lasting one to two weeks.
• Featured continuous preaching with various revivals attracting thousands from far distances.
• At camp meetings, emotional responses—like crying or falling—were common.
• Organizers included influential figures like James McCready and Peter Cartwright (Methodist).

Emotional Impact of Revivals

• Revivals offered a democratic faith, promoting the idea that all could attain salvation, contrasting with predestination notions.
• Emotional engagement: revivals addressed the feelings and fears of attendees, enabling many to find personal significance.

Criticism of Revivals

• Critics, like Anthony Trollope and his mother, viewed revivals skeptically, suggesting social connections were often the focal point rather than spiritual renewal.

Spread to New England by Lyman Beecher

• Beecher, a Puritan minister, combined emotional preaching styles from the West to rejuvenate declining church attendance in New England.
• His family became notable figures in 19th-century America: Harriet Beecher Stowe (author) and Henry Ward Beecher (preacher).

Charles G. Finney and Evangelical Protestantism

• Finney, transformed from a lawyer to preacher, championed the idea of universal redemption through personal atonement.
• Involved in revivals, he became an influential figure known for training subsequent ministers and spreading evangelical Protestantism throughout Northern U.S.
• The "Burned-Over District" became known for continuous revival efforts led by Finney.

Significance of Revivals and Their Popularity

• Revivals served as social events, providing community and leisure for isolated frontier families.
• They allowed young people to meet potential partners, in part contributing to some attending for social purposes rather than purely religious motives.
• Entertainment aspect: Preachers acted as the celebrities of their time, engaging audiences with dynamic and emotional sermons.

Shifted Social Dynamics and Beliefs

• Rapid urbanization introduced social anxieties that drove people toward church communities for belonging.
• Women found public roles in these churches contrary to the domestic sphere defined by the cult of domesticity, driving significant female church membership.

Theological Transformations

• Shift from predestination to belief in universal salvation through confession of sin and God’s forgiveness promoted a more democratic faith.
• Belief in near-imminence of Christ's return generated excitement and fervor among the revivalists.

Social Reforms Inspired by the Second Great Awakening

• The revival movements encouraged various social reforms, including:
• Temperance Movement: aimed at reducing alcohol consumption due to its societal impacts.
• Education Reform: establishment of public schools for moral and educational improvement.
• Women’s Rights Advocacy: pushed for women's involvement in public life and political rights.
• Antislavery Movement: moral imperative to challenge slavery due to Christian beliefs about equality.

Temperance Movement Details

• High alcohol consumption rates tied to social anxieties and the industrial economy; attempts to curb drinking viewed as a moral imperative.
• Various organizations emerged, advocating moral persuasion against alcohol consumption through campaigns.
• Legislative efforts began in the '50s, with some states initially banning alcohol sales, though these laws often faced repeal during critical periods like the Civil War.
• Propaganda like "Drunkard's Progress" illustrated the dangers of alcoholism and served as a warning against drinking.

Educational Reform Objectives

• Public schools promote literacy and moral character, often based on Bible-reading (Protestant).
• Reformers aimed to educate potential voters in an expanding democratic system, ensuring informed citizenry.
• Horace Mann led efforts for public education, emphasizing its role as a great equalizer.

Women's Rights Movement Formation

• Women were often perceived as morally superior and deserved political representation to affect moral change.
• Key figures: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony initiated early activism, with conventions demanding equal rights and property rights for women.
• The Seneca Falls Convention (1848) established foundational documents advocating gender equality in political rights.