the great awakening

Context and Decline of Piety

  • Westward expansion and dispersed settlements weakened ties to organized religion; rising commercial prosperity and urban secularism; progress of science and free thought questioned traditional beliefs.

  • Early concerns in New England about piety decline; Puritan leaders warned of weakening church power; sermons of despair (Jeremites) highlighted potential piety decline.

  • By the early eighteenth century, piety concerns appeared in other regions and faiths, setting the stage for the Great Awakening.

The Great Awakening: Overview

  • First major American revival; began in earnest in 1730s1730s and climaxed in 1740s1740s.

  • Potentially subversive, challenged established power structures and deference; promoted personal conversion and a new start in one's relationship with God.

  • Attracted women (majority of converts), younger sons of settlers, and enslaved people seeking community and hope.

Key Figures and Messages

  • John and Charles Wesley (Methodism): visited the colonies in the 1730s1730s; helped spread revival.

  • George Whitefield: open-air preacher from England; toured colonies; spoke in every colony, often in MA and CT; many residents heard him preach at least once.

  • Jonathan Edwards: Congregationalist from Northampton, MA; attacked easy salvation; reaffirmed Puritan doctrines: divine sovereignty, predestination, salvation by grace; vivid depictions of hell.

Doctrines, Divisions, and Education

  • Great Awakening led to divisions: New Light revivalists vs Old Light traditionalists; new congregations formed.

  • Some revivalists denounced book learning as hindrance to salvation; others promoted education to advance religion; many founded or led schools to train New Light ministers.

Social and Educational Impact

  • Revival stimulated broader social change and the spread of education; contributed to the growth of religious institutions and the training of clergy.

Questions for Reflection

  • What factors contributed to the decline of religious piety before the Great Awakening?

  • How did the Great Awakening challenge existing social and religious hierarchies?

  • What were the main differences in the messages of key figures like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards?

  • How did the Great Awakening influence education in the colonies?