2.7 Colonial Society, Culture, and the First Great Awakening

Pluralism in the Colonies

• Diversity in race, ethnicity, and religion was prevalent.
• By $1775$, African Americans comprised $20\%$ of the population.
• Key groups: Native Americans, English, forcibly imported Africans, Dutch, Germans, Scots-Irish.
• Religious toleration, though varying, was widespread; Pennsylvania had the most.

Colonial Society and Culture

• Evolved into a distinct society of $1.5$ million by mid-$18^{th}$ century.
• Offered economic opportunities; enslaved Africans were the largest group, not coming by choice.
• Western frontier expansion led to conflict with American Indians.
• Possessed a strong tradition of self-government (e.g., House of Burgesses, New England town meetings).
• Colonists became accustomed to "salutary neglect."

The First Great Awakening

• Period: Swept the colonies in the $1730s$ and $1740s$.
• Figures: Jonathan Edwards ("Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God") and George Whitefield.
• Message: Emphasized an angry God and the necessity of deep repentance for salvation.
• Impact:
  • Triggered a religious revival, reversing a trend of declining church attendance.
  • Promoted religious tolerance and the rise of new Protestant sects.
  • Regarded as the first unifying experience across the colonies.
  • Stressed greater equality between ministers and laypeople, fostering religious self-determination.