Colonial America experienced significant changes during the late seventeenth and early eighteen centuries. The most important changes included the development of cities to became the main ports, and Southern part of America was transformed to be a major contributor to colonial America’s economy. These changes resulted in the rise in population with thousands of immigrants coming in large numbers due to the growth and improvement of the agricultural estate. Following this period of economic boom, colonial America experienced two major revivals that had long-term effects on the nation with regards to religion, government, and human nature.The two changes were Enlightenment and The Great Awakening. The Enlightenment revival focused on stimulating the role of …show more content…
This resulted in the sharing of general views between the North, and South thus allowing faith to be preached across races. This belief led to emergencies of evangelism leading to preachings that condemned slavery terming it as a sin. Moreover, in the first general meeting of Methodism, it was declared that being in possession of a slave would result in instant dismissal (Edwards, et. All, 2013) The movement, however, satisfied many individuals need for reassurance, direction, and religious purpose, that was otherwise missing. The Great Awakening was most successful in uniting the colonial America people in the understanding of the Christian faith and life. Despite it achievements, the Great Awakening ended up weakening the significance of clergy as believers started depending on their conclusions. The movement also resulted in the development of different cults and denominations and promoted religious tolerance. This movement resulted to the challenging of the traditional authority of the clergy which eventually led to the challenging of the authority of the King (Edwards, et. All,
Regardless of a colony’s religious situation, whether they allowed complete freedom of worship or were occupied by strict religious laws, all thirteen colonies were affected by a movement called the Great Awakening. Generally, the Great Awakening is characterized by a fervent revival in religion practice. Although, this movement had a major impact on most aspects of colonial life, it is important to note the effect it had on religion and how that in turn affected the political life of the colonist. Because of The Great Awakening, many ministers lost authority the authority they held over because more people were taking to studying the Bible in their own homes. This idea would have larger implications for the future.
The Great Awakening strived to erase the lines between religions by promoting religious pluralism and the concept that all faiths were equal. Primarily, the separation of Church and State was finally in place, which showed the opposition to allowing religion facilitate the decisions of their nation. The Awakening weakened the cultural authority of the upper class and produced a vision of a society drawn in more equal lines. Overall, the thought of finally being equal unified the colonies and created universities that were not controlled by the Church. The new universities promoted different types of curriculum which was not based on religion.
Davis Tolar The Great Awakening The Great Awakening was a religious revival that garnered much of its attention in the 1730s and 1740s. The American colonies would become affected by the actions of the Awakening, leaving a mark on religious and cultural history. This movement would have significant effects on individual lives and identities, promoting many to reevaluate their own lives and beliefs, through an emphasis on spirituality and the religious experience.
There was a change on how early American’s viewed worship and Christianity. One of the reasons of the Great Awakening was because the 1600’s was full of poor conditions economically, socially, and spiritually. For example: the Chesapeake settlers were very profit motivated and tobacco was mainly where their money was made from. Since they had such an obsession with money, they often let it get in the way of how they lived their daily life. Tobacco requires a lot of effort to grow.
During the 1800s, a drastic religious revival swept across the United States. Much change and reform took place within the nation that shifted the character of American religion and culture. The beliefs and religious views of the 1800s helped influence the American identity today. Religion in the 1800s led to a revolution that had far-reaching effects on the U.S. that allowed it to assert its beliefs that have impacted society today.
The Second Great Awakening also consisted of the growth of many churches in the United States and increased the percentage of religious people by a lot. The second great awakening influenced several social reforms that took place later and helped change our country into what it is today. The Second Great Awakening definitely expanded the number of active church members and affected the United States in many ways later in its
The Second Great Awakening, taking place during this era, was influenced by the growth of democratic and individualistic ideals in response to rationalism, along with socioeconomic transformations brought about by the market revolution. This movement contributed to the promotion of moral and social improvements, as well as the formation of a new national culture, combining American elements, European and Greek influences. Federal Style, a type of American architecture, is a prime example of this cultural blending. It incorporated neoclassical elements such as columns, domes, and pediments. Additionally, the Second Great Awakening fueled the Abolitionist Movement, which eventually resulted in emancipation in the North and contributed to the expansion of the free African American community, despite the fact that many state governments continued to restrict their rights.
In the wake of the second Great Awakening in the early 1800’s, societal morals regarding slavery, lack of rights for women, the prison system, education, and other institutions were questioned. Unitarianism stressed salvation through good works, and both religious converts and transcendentalists initiated social reform movements in an attempt to improve the moral state of America. Two of these movements that included perhaps the most controversy and struggle included abolitionism and women’s rights. Although both the abolitionist and women’s rights movements were able to eventually create lasting societal and political change, the fact that only a small portion of the population had any democratic rights showed the initial weaknesses of American democracy.
People had both the right and the duty to make whatever changes were necessary to come up with a new government or new reforms to that government to better serve their needs. This is basically was the mindset of the people who believed that reform was need in society. The Second Great Awakening refers to a period of religious revivals at occurred in the United States in the 1830s. After this period, many reform movements took place to better serve society and the people in it.
The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening periods in American history contributed not only to the Revolutionary War, but also shaping America into its present day self. The Enlightenment period brought a sense of self-awareness; science was now applied to all aspects of life (religion, politics, trade, and life itself). Intellectuals began questioning what gives or allows a person the right to govern - as illustrated in Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s book The Social Contract (1762). Rousseau’s contention was that individuals had “natural rights” to life, liberty, and property that rulers could not deny (Schultz, 2013 p. 69). The Enlightenment also spurred a reformation in education; the days of religious based curricula were being challenged, philosophy and the concept of reasoning were introduced.
At the time of the Second Great Awakening, America was a society full of changes in many subjects. The start of the nineteenth century began to criticize controversial topics and social tensions between groups. These contributions caused disputes that would transform into reforms for the minorities facing inequality. The new denominations, women, and slaves experienced discrimination from others for their statuses in society. First, branches of Christianity expanded during the Awakening, and, in turn, the rest of the world hated them for their beliefs.
This connected free blacks and the churches from the north, which also helped develop and promote black churches. “An African American ordained minister of the Presbyterian Church, visits your town in order to obtain pecuniary aid to enable him to purchase the freedom of his wife and children…” (Doc C). The second great awakening also helped whites to stop thinking about themselves but about others and what there country stands for. Garrison published the “Declaration of Sentiments of the American Anti-Slavery Society” (with a point of view of an abolitionist) to influence the growing opposition to slavery.
The American Enlightenment and the Great Awakening were two very important motivators that changed the colonial society in America through religious beliefs, educational values, and the right to live one’s life according to each individual’s preference. The Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment movements were two events in history that signaled a grand distinction to the teachings among religious believers. New beliefs of how a person should worship in order to be considered in “God’s good graces” soon became an enormous discussion among colonists across the land. “Men of the cloth,” such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were well respected and closely followed when preaching about the love of God and damnation.
The Great Awakening The Great Awakening sew a seed of independence in American’s minds because it promoted the religious tolerance, led to the abolishment of the belief of single, authoritarian religious rules, and evoked a sense of self-governance. During this significant period, many charismatic preachers such as Jonathan Edward and George Whitefield emerged, being enthusiastic about delivering their messages with their distinct preaching styles. The increased religious tolerance in the colonies during the Great Awakening resulted in the diversity of the denominations.
Religion, democracy and mercantilism played major roles in the development of Colonial America. Religion affected development as it always does, checking those with extreme greed with the threat of hell and encouraging those with good intentions with the promise of heaven. Democracy played a major role in colonial America because in an age of people being fed up with the king democracy held increasing amounts of leverage in the government. While this was going on a strong sense of mercantilism fueled the budding country's economy. Religion, democracy, and mercantilism were the main factors that fueled the development of colonial America into the country we have today religion checked people with bad intentions and encouraged those with good purposes, democracy created a government run by the people for the people and mercantilism fueled the entire country.