The Very Very Very Big Awakening

AKA The Great Awakening

What is this “Big Awakening” thing you keep babbling about?!?

• A Great Awakening = Period of rapid religious revival

• Four Great Awakenings• THE Great Awakening = first (c. 1730 – 1755)• Primarily in England and New England

Wha? Who awakened what?

• Jonathan Edwards– Yale minister who believed New Englanders were far too

concerned with worldly matters• George Whitefield

– Britain minister, preached passionately• Gilbert Tennent• Style

– Itinerant and censorious preaching– Considerable controversy– Copied by many

• New style of enthusiastic preaching inspired many

But then who woke THOSE people up?

• Harsh life• Germany and Northern Ireland– Wracked with warfare and famine– Hundreds of thousands migrate to Americas

• America– Taking in the poor Germans– Conflict along borders left families desolated

• Great Britain– Success of the government at the cost of faith– Entering the Industrial Revolution, many miners and factory

workers converted

So, what did this “Awakening” thing do?

• Trend – sermons that emphasized equality among religions and among classes

• Outlined law in Enlightenment perspective– Authority subject to law as well– Revolt against tyranny was legal and religious duty

Ah… I bet this was what caused the American Revolution!

• No (not direct cause of it)• Yes (united colonies, ministers viewed as

upper class, therefore them preaching towards common broke down “respect for betters”)

Where’s your sources?• Heyrman, Christine Leigh. “The First Great Awakening.” Divining America,

TeacherServe©. National Humanities Center. DATE YOU ACCESSED ESSAY. http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/grawaken.htm

• McCormick, Meaghan S.. "The Great Awakening and Its Effect on the Society and Religion of the Connecticut River Valley." Welcome to the Town of Longmeadow, Massachusetts. 5 Apr 2009 <http://www.longmeadow.org/hist_soc/awakening.htm>.

• "Great Awakening." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 31 Mar 2009, 14:24 UTC. 5 Apr 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Great_Awakening&oldid=280865617>.

• "First Great Awakening." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 1 Apr 2009, 17:19 UTC. 5 Apr 2009 <http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=First_Great_Awakening&oldid=281111243>.

• Wood, Gordon. "The Great Awakening [ushistory.org]." ushistory.org. 01 Jan 2008. Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia. 5 Apr 2009 <http://www.ushistory.org/us/7b.asp>.