Colonial and Revolutionary America Essay 5 to 6 pages

THE GREAT AWAKENING

Revivals and Religiosity in 18th-Century America

Religion in British North America

■ By mid-18th century, mix of established churches, toleration, freedom of worship

– Established churches:

■ New England (except Rhode Island) – Puritan/Congregational

■ Virginia, Maryland, Carolinas – Church of England

■ Mid-Atlantic Pluralism: Quakers, Mennonites, Lutherans, Baptists, Catholics, Jews

■ Established churches challenged by falling attendance

■ Revivals irregular, popular gatherings in New England and frontier communities

■ Popularity of pietism or religious enthusiasm

The Religions of 18th-Century British North America

The Great Awakening

■ Wave of revivals, rise in popularity of revivalism

■ What were revivals?

– Revivals irregular, popular gatherings in New England and rural/frontier communities

– Focus on the despair and enthusiasm of divine grace

– Typically large gatherings, sometimes outdoors

■ Revivals had been occurring intermittently since at least 1679

■ Congregational and Presbyterian revivals localized and episodic until the early 1730s and 1740s, began occurring more regularly and frequently

■ Connecticut Valley revivals of 1735

– Abrupt stop with Joseph Hawley suicide 1735

The Great Awakening

Arrival of George Whitefield, 1739

■ Spends 14 months in the colonies

■ Inspired by the Writings of Jonathan Edwards (A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Work of God)

■ Charismatic and moving speaker (no notes!) – attracted huge crowds

■ Most popular in New England

■ Emphasized the universal and indiscriminate power of God, dramatic conversions of everyday people

■ Relentlessly self-promotional, takes advantage of advances in print culture, befriends Ben Franklin

– More than 80,000 copies of Whitefield's writings printed

The Great Awakening

■ Social Consequences

■ Conflict and disagreement between elites and common people

■ Old Lights and New Lights, older and younger generations, Evangelicals and

Rationalists

– New Lights preached the immediacy of the Holy Spirit, suddenness of

conversion

– Old Lights decried bursts of enthusiasm as akin to madness

■ Splits in churches over the value of revivals, the meaning of faith, authority within

and without of churches