An Age of Reforms
Some historians connect the reforms of Jacksonian Democracy and Manifest Destiny to a
much broader and more generalized spirit of reform that had begun during the late 18th
century. This spirit of reform is often referred to as the 2nd Great Awakening and was
originally a religious reform movement that had as much of an impact socially as it did
spiritually.
The 1st Great Awakening, that centered in Puritan New England and dealt with personal
salvation, and more importantly damnation - This second reform movement focused on
an individual’s responsibility to seek salvation and an insistence on self-improvement
and working to perfect society. This “kinder, gentler” reform allowed the 2nd Great
Awakening to have a broader appeal and a deeper impact.
I.E. Literary Movements (like - Transcendentalism)
Utopian Societies (like - the Shakers)
Splintering Christian Churches (like - Unitarianism)
How might the Second Great Awakening have impacted:
Jacksonian Democracy?
Manifest Destiny?