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Reading Further - A Religious Revival in the Colonies
Bruton Parish was like other town churches throughout the
colonies. But many farmers lived too far away to attend
services. To reach these people, a new religious movement
arose in the 1730s and 1740s. It was called the Great
Awakening. How would this change affect the future of the
colonies?
Nathan Cole, a Connecticut farmer, had waited for this moment for a
long time. He had heard about the preaching of Great Britain’s George Whitefield. He longed for the
chance to hear the great minister deliver one of his fiery sermons. Just the thought of it caused Cole to
feel closer to God.
Then, this morning, Cole was at work in his fields when he heard the startling news. Whitefield
was to preach in a nearby town. The service would begin in less than two hours! Cole stopped his work
at once and rushed to fetch his wife. The two mounted a single horse and set out at a run for the town of
Middletown, 12 miles away. The horse soon tired. Anxious not to slow down, Cole got off the horse to
lighten its load. He then ran alongside his wife and the exhausted animal.
Cole and his wife passed empty fields. It seemed everyone had dropped what he or she was
doing to attend the meeting. He also noticed that the sky was filled with what he first thought was
fog. But it was actually clouds of dust kicked up by others racing along the dirt roads to see the great
minister.
Soon, the road to Middletown became clogged with riders. All were rushing to the town for the
chance to hear the preacher Whitefield.
Fortunately for Cole and his wife, they were not disappointed. They arrived in time to hear the
sermon. Along with three to four thousand other worshippers, the Coles listened to Whitefield’s
words. “My hearing him preach gave me a heart wound,” reported Cole. “By God’s blessing, my old
foundation [set of beliefs] was broken up.”
Before men such as Whitefield arrived, religion in the colonies did not cause much
excitement. Church services were quiet, formal events. People did not show deep feeling during
services. Neither did ministers. They spoke calmly but sternly. They wanted their followers to listen to
what they said. Followers believed that God spoke through the ministers.
Indeed, churches in the colonies held great power. As you have read, some colonies had official
churches. People in those colonies were required to pay taxes to support the church.
However, early colonial churches did not serve all people equally. Attendance among some
groups was low. Many farmers lived too far from any town to attend services. Churches also focused on
the rich and powerful. Town leaders held high positions in the church as well as in the larger
community. The less wealthy and powerful often felt left out. Other colonists simply did not accept the
church’s authority.
Over time, the early colonial churches began to lose their power. Preachers began to complain
about bad behavior among the colonists. They were troubled by the spread of sinful habits. Young
people were of special concern. They seemed, some preachers thought, more interested in having fun
than in living a good life.
Some leaders worried that churches were losing their influence on the people. This threatened
the very future of the colonies. In Massachusetts, leader William Stoughton made this complaint: “O,
what a sad [change] hath of later years passed upon us in these churches and plantations. Alas! How is
New England in danger to be buried in its own
ruins.” Stoughton spoke these words in 1688. The
problem that upset him grew worse in the following
years. By the 1730s, religious life was in need of
revival. This was soon to come.
Colonial religious life underwent a big
change in the 1730s. In fact, historians call the
movement that began at this time the Great
Awakening.
The Great Awakening started with preachers such as George Whitefield. They brought a new
type of message to the people. These preachers did not stress following rules. Instead, they seemed to
speak to each person. They told each man and woman to build his or her own relationship with God.
The impact of this message was dramatic. For one thing, church services changed. Before the
Great Awakening, meetings were mostly calm and quiet. But as Massachusetts minister Jonathan
Edwards noted, during the Great Awakening “It was a very frequent thing to see a house full of outcries,
faintings, and convulsions [violent shaking].” Some people shouted with joy. Others cried out in fear and
shame. At times, people were completely overcome with emotion. They became so exhausted that they
could not return home. It was common for people to stay all night at the church.
Jonathan Edwards had his own church. But many Great Awakening preachers traveled from
town to town. George Whitefield was one example. Wherever he went, he drew huge crowds. He once
spoke before 30,000 people. Unable to fit in a church building, the people would gather in open
fields. They were drawn by his message—and also his dramatic style.
The Great Awakening changed more than church services. Edwards also noted a change in
people’s actions.“There has been vastly more religion kept up in the town, among all sorts of persons,”
he wrote. People who had never attended church became religious. Neighbors on the street talked
openly about religion. Young people gave up some of the bad habits that had once troubled religious
leaders. Concern for the poor also increased.
The Great Awakening had a major effect on colonial life. In fact, it helped change the course of
American history. For one thing, the Great Awakening weakened the once powerful churches. Many
colonists joined new churches. Groups such as the Baptists and the Methodists grew quickly. Over time,
the Anglicans and the Puritans lost their special place in colonial life. The practice of making taxpayers
support a church came to an end. Church and government separated. People enjoyed more options for
worship. Religious freedom grew during the mid1700s.
The Great Awakening led to the founding of
new colleges. Harvard College and the College of
William and Mary had trained ministers for the older
churches. Now, new colleges such as Princeton
and Brown were built. These colleges helped train
ministers to teach the new ideas of the Great
Awakening.
For many colonists, the Great Awakening also changed some of their basic ways of
thinking. Recall that at Bruton Parish Church, town leaders, such as the governor, sat in the front
rows. Important people held a special place. Africans sat in the back—or outside. The Great Awakening
challenged such practices. Many preachers began to recognize the religious needs of all people. This
included enslaved Africans and American Indians. Dartmouth College was founded, in part, to educate
American Indians.
The Great Awakening did not bring an end to slavery. But it did change the way people thought
about their leaders. It taught that God loved the weak and the poor just as much as the powerful. No
group or class should enjoy special favor. Such teachings helped create an independent spirit. This
spirit would grow over time. Within a few years, it would change the colonies’ relationship with Great
Britain.