Mr. Pettit
APUSH
THE GREAT AWAKENING, 1730-1760
The first unified movement throughout the American colonies.
-the first “American movement” in history
ORIGINS:
-1688, “The Glorious Revolution” stabilizes Great Britain.
-William and Mary take control from the Catholic Stuart dynasty.
-This created “religious complacency,” and became evident in Britain’s
colonies.
REVIVALISM:
-George Whitefield (among others) came to the colonies in the early 1700’s.
-He was a particularly charismatic and energetic reverend that encouraged
people to express emotions at church gatherings to become closer with god.
-This differed from the quieter Puritan gatherings that were common
in the New England colonies.
-Whitefield’s revivalist teachings spread throughout the 13 colonies in the
1730’s and 1740’s.
JONATHAN EDWARDS:
-Spread religious revival in the New England Colonies.
-famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” gained him wide
praise and following.
-very powerful and passionate preacher.
SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREAT AWAKENING:
-Taught people to confront religious authority.
-gave people the courage to break off and form new churches.
-did NOT create a common religion throughout the colonies, but did create a
common sense of standing up to authority.
-brought about a climate that made the American Revolution possible.
-“The effect of Great Awakening unity was an attitude that went against the
deferential thinking that consumed English politics and religion. Rather than
believing that God’s will was necessarily interpreted by the monarch or his bishops,
the colonists viewed themselves as more capable of performing the task. The chain
of authority no longer ran from God to ruler to people, but from God to people
to ruler.”