APUSH Great Awakenings

Religious Complacency: A general sense of satisfaction with existing religious practices led to a decline in religious zeal.
Influence of Rationalism & Enlightenment: New intellectual currents emphasizing reason and individual thought challenged traditional religious authority.
Discontent over Economic & Social Status in Church: People felt that their position in the church was unfairly influenced by their economic and social standing.
Charismatic Preachers: The emergence of dynamic and passionate preachers drew large crowds and stirred religious fervor.

Jonathan Edwards: A prominent preacher known for his fiery sermon, "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," which emphasized the severity of sin and the necessity of seeking God's grace.
George Whitefield: An influential evangelist who traveled extensively, preaching heartfelt messages about personal conversion to crowds as large as 10,000 people. His travels helped spread the Great Awakening throughout the colonies.

Competition Between Old Lights vs. New Lights
- Old Lights: Traditionalist clergy and their followers, including Anglicans, Catholics, and Congregationalists, who opposed the revivalist movement.
- New Lights: Revivalist preachers and their followers, including Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians, who embraced the emotional and personal aspects of religious experience.
New Denominations Formed: The Great Awakening led to the creation of new religious groups, like the Baptists & Methodists, as people sought more individualized and emotional religious experiences.
Influenced Colonial Society: The Great Awakening inspired a sense of religious passion and community, shaping early American culture and fostering a shared identity.
First Shared Experience by all 13 Colonies: It was one of the first events that all 13 colonies experienced together, contributing to a sense of shared identity and unity.
Contributed to Democratic Principles: The questioning of religious authority encouraged individualism and independent thinking.
Questioning of Religious authority led to questioning of British Imperial Authority: Encouraged individualism and dissent, contributing to the questioning of British authority and fostering a spirit of independence that would later fuel the American Revolution.

Continued Religious Decline: A perceived decline in religious adherence and fervor following the American Revolution.
Industrialization and Urbanization: The rapid growth of cities and factories led to social changes and anxieties that prompted religious revival.
Moral Decay: Concerns about increasing immorality and social problems in a rapidly changing society.
Individualism & Democratic Ideals: The emphasis on individual choice and democratic participation influenced religious practices and beliefs.
Desire for Personal Religious Experience: People sought more personal and emotional connections with God, moving away from formal and traditional religious practices.

Charles Grandison Finney: A preacher who worked in the "Burned-Over District" of New York, a region known for its intense religious revivals and numerous conversions.
Lyman Beecher: A preacher and reformer known for his efforts to combat alcoholism and promote social reforms, reflecting the social activism inspired by the Second Great Awakening.
Joseph Smith: The founder of the Mormon Church in New York in 1830, a new religious movement that emerged during the Second Great Awakening.

Increased church attendance for Baptist, Methodist, & Presbyterian Churches: These denominations emphasized personal conversion and emotional worship, attracting large numbers of new members.
New Denominations Formed: The Second Great Awakening led to the creation of new religious groups, like the Seventh Day Adventists & Mormon Church, expanding religious diversity and competition.
Expanded Reform Movements: It was closely linked to various social reform efforts, such as abolitionism and women's rights, as religious fervor translated into activism.
Increased Religious Diversity: Greater acceptance of different beliefs and religious practices, contributing to a more pluralistic society.
Influenced Education: The Second Great Awakening fueled the growth of educational institutions and shaped American intellectual life, as various denominations founded colleges and seminaries to train ministers and promote their beliefs.
Affected Westward Expansion: Revivalist fervor spread to new territories, establishing churches and communities on the frontier and shaping the social and moral landscape of the American West.