In-Depth Notes on the Second Great Awakening

Overview of the Second Great Awakening

  • Time Period: Early 1800s, specifically from the 1810s to the 1840s.
  • Definition: A period of religious revivals that reshaped American Christianity, making it more evangelical and democratic.

Key Characteristics of the Second Great Awakening

  • Emotional Experiences:

  • Revivals were chaotic and emotional.

  • Attendees experienced intense emotions: crying, shouting, speaking in tongues, fainting.

  • Example: A visitor described the noise of a revival as akin to "the roar of Niagara Falls."

  • Shift from Calvinism:

  • Calvinist ideas of predestination largely disappeared.

  • Emphasis on free will: Individuals could choose salvation, eliminating the doubt of being among the elect.

  • Charles Grandison Finney:

  • Leading minister of the movement.

  • Founded Oberlin College; preached along the Erie Canal.

  • Created the anxious bench to encourage individual conversions.

  • Stressed personal responsibility in choosing God and salvation.

Evangelicalism's Rise

  • Definition of Evangelicalism: Aggressive efforts to spread Christianity to nonbelievers.
  • Shift in dominant denominations:
  • Rise of Baptists and Methodists.
  • 70% of Protestants by 1860 were Baptists or Methodists.
  • Baptist Beliefs: Adult baptism reflecting personal understanding and commitment.
  • Methodist Circuit Riders: Traveling preachers who reached rural areas to share the gospel.

Democratic Elements of the Awakening

  • Inclusion of Diverse Voices:
  • Women and African American ministers participated, some preaching to mixed-race audiences.
  • Perfectionism: The belief that society could be perfected through reform failures and that individuals could do this in their lifetime.
  • Reform Movements:
  • E.g., missionary outreach, literacy improvement, libraries, temperance, women's suffrage, abolitionism.

Relationship with the Market Revolution

  • Geographic Connection: Revivals strongest where the market revolution had the most impact, primarily in the Northeast and along commercial routes (canals, railroads).
  • Reasons for Revivals in Growing Communities:
  • New urban social structures created a need for a cohesive community experience.
  • Democratic impulses mirrored political changes (e.g., Andrew Jackson's era).
  • Middle Class Role: Significant reformers; they had the resources and time to engage in social change, unlike the working class or the wealthy elite.

New Religious Movements

  • Burned Over District: Area in Upstate New York known for religious fervor and the emergence of new sects.

  • William Miller and Adventism:

  • Predicted the Second Coming based on biblical calculations; led to a phenomenon known as the Great Disappointment when prophecies did not come true.

  • Joseph Smith and Mormonism:

  • Claimed to translate the Book of Mormon, founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, faced persecution leading to migration to Utah.

  • Spiritualism:

  • Founded by the Fox Sisters, involved communicating with the dead, gained popularity amid societal upheaval and high mortality rates.

Conclusion:

  • The Second Great Awakening was a transformative period for American Christianity, leading to increased evangelical fervor, greater democratic participation, and the emergence of numerous new religious movements, reshaping the spiritual landscape of the nation.