Definition of The Great
Awakening
 The Great Awakening :
 It was a spiritual renewal that swept the American
Colonies during 18 century led by evangelical
Protestant ministers.
 It established an approach to which was characterized
by great fervor and emotion in prayer.
 It allowed people to express their emotions more
overtly in order to feel a greater intimacy with God.
The Great Awakening - Dates
 The First Great Awakening 1725 -1750
 The Second Great Awakening 1850–1900
 The third Great Awakening 1880-1910
 The fourth revivals Great Awakening 1960-1970
The Great Awakening - Map
Origins of the Great Awakening
 Charles II attempted to erase all influences of
Puritanism
 The Puritans had a reaction to the perceived
corruption and secularism of the Church of England
 The Glorious Revolution of 1688
 Denouncing divine right of kings and complacent
obedience.
Origins of the Great Awakening
 The colonists’ fear of Catholic and Stuart control vs
the ideals of the Whigs to the New World.
 A rebellion against authoritarian religious rule which
spilled over into other areas of colonial life.
 Charismatic personalities such as Whitefield and
Tennent rolled through to deliver their messages.
Leaders of the Great Awakening
 George Whitefield
 He came to Boston in 1740
 He was supposed to deliver a counter-message against
the cold rationalism
 In 1739, newspapers in New England carried stories of
the crowds that would gather in England to hear him,
and about his novel preaching style
 Whitefield was known to give sermons outside the
churches .
Leaders of the Great Awakening
 He was disappointed by the schools which opposed
the revivalism sweeping through New England
Leaders of the Great Awakening
 Jonathan Edwards (1703 –1758)
 He was a revivalist preacher, philosopher, and
Congregationalist protestant theologian
 He refused to convert to the Church of England
 He was concerned about New Englanders who
were becoming far too concerned with worldly
matters
He declared : "God was an angry judge, and humans
were sinners!"
What caused the Great
Awakening?
The causes :
 The Glorious Revolution of 1688 which led to eliminate
the catholic domination.
 The Church of England as the reigning church of the
country.
 Other religions, such as Catholicism, Judaism, and
Puritanism, were subsequently suppressed.
 Religion became something of a pastime.
What were the effects of the
Great Awakening
 Revivalism taught people that they could confront
religious authority.
 Religious power resided in their the hands of people
rather than in the hands of the Church of England.
 Political power did not reside in the hands of the
English monarch.
 A common vision of freedom from British control
spread among the Colonists .
The impact of the Great Awakening on the
American Colonists
American Identity
 There is not a single truth or a single church.
 The social effect of the variety of multi religion
aspects helped to create a “national consciousness”.
 The chain of authority no longer ran from God to ruler
to people, but from God to people to ruler.
Government as Contract
 The growth of the notion of state rule as a contract with
the people.
 The ideals of Puritanical covenant theology as the “social
compact”.
Religious Uniformity
 Religious pluralism within the colonies.
 The colonists adhered to no single denomination.
 religion from becoming a reality.
 Sentiments of self-governance : William Knox noted about
the American drive for independence, “Every man being
thus allowed to be his own Pope, he becomes disposed
to wish to become his own King”.
Shared Goals
 Religion as something communitarian – a form of
social cooperation.
 Chiefly Protestant nation was a fear of Catholic
domination.
 Interruption of Earthquakes in 1727 and 1755 the
Antichrist they turned to the Catholics the pope to be
the enemy during the French and Indian War.
Shared Goals
 Anti-Catholicism was one of the most prominent traits
in the colonies prior to the revolution
 An opposition to Roman Catholicism
 George III, who needed to be expelled from the
colonies in order to bring forth the new age of
righteousness
Conclusion
 the Great Awakening provided the catalyst for political
and military action necessary for fulfillment of
religious expectations.
 The Great Awakening led Americans to confront the
Catholics in every aspect until the break of against
Britain .
SOURCES
 www.great-awakening.com
 http://www.landofthebrave.info
 Youtube.com/the first great awakening
 Google.com images .
Thanks to :
The Audience who have
listent.
Me who have presented .