The Significant Relationship Between the First Awakening and the Second Great Awakening

First Great Awakening: 1730s-1740s
  • The Great Awakening started when religion had cooled down, due to the droning preachers and increasing liberalism in congregations, new ideas like the Arminians (free will, not predestination) began to form.
  • Jonathan Edwards (preached God's grace, not good works, and instilled fear of hell). George Whitefield (amazing orator, preached spiritual awakening, excited people!)
  • More emotion in religion.
  • "Old lights" vs. "New lights"
  • Significance: emphasized direct, emotive spirituality. Undermined older clergy (and no need for education to become a preacher). Set of schisms in denominations - increased numbers and competitiveness of American churches. Encouraged missionary work among the Indians and even black slaves. "New light" centers of higher learning were founded, like Princeton, Brown, Dartmouth. UNITED AMERICANS!

Second Great Awakening: 1830s-1840s

  • Old Calvinism had been long swept out of America. Rationalist ideas had softened the older orthodoxy.
  • Deism inspired a new religion - the Unitarian faith (God existed in one person, no trinity, promoted good works, believed man was inherently good).
  • The 2nd Great Awakening was a reaction to growing liberalism in religion. It started on the Southern frontier, and soon spread to the Northeast. Larger than the First Great Awakening. Many converted souls, reorganization of churches, new sects appeared (Mormons, Adventists).
  • Encouraged social reforms: prison reform, temperance, women's movement, and crusade to abolish slavery.
  • Thousands of people met at "camp meetings" to hear hellfire sermons.
  • Methodists and Baptists gained the most conversions from this Awakening.
  • Peter Cartwright (preached while flailing), and Charles Grandison Finney (greatest revival preacher).
  • Feminization of religion: women were the most fervent enthusiasts of religious revivalism. Made up a majority of church memberships. It was women's' job to "bring their families back to God."

Relationship

  • Both were caused by liberalism in religion. Second bigger than First. Second inspired more than just religion - inspired reform movements, as well as literature and education-y stuff. The First united the country (it was the first cause that swept through all of America). The Second in some ways revealed separations within the country. The poor South was Baptist and Methodist and these churches supported slavery. The wealthier Northerners were Episcopals, Presbyterians, Congregationalists, and Unitarians. The Second involved women taking an important role in religion.

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much :)

Anonymous said...

Helpful! Thanks

Anonymous said...

failers is all wrong

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Anonymous said...

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Unknown said...

Absolutely perfect... I need to write a 3 page paper on this exact topic!

Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

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Anonymous said...

The ending about the north-south relationship is entirely wrong, so extremely wrong that it pains me to see so many students giving this praise and saying it helped them with their understanding. The Baptist and Methodist churches were doctrinally opposed to slavery. They were both fundamentalist groups, meaning they took the whole bible literally and as truth. A core component to their denomination that made them noteworthy in history compared to contemporary churches was their ardent belief in social equality before God for anyone. The Methodist church was one of the first denominations to allow black preachers and they actively recruited blacks. Even 20% of the two denominations' population was African-American. In the 1830's The African Methodist Church saw Jarena Lee as the first black woman to not only become a minister, but a tireless one at that. She traveled thousands of miles and preached hundreds of sermons. So ya, the statement "in the poor south, the baptist and methodist churches supported slavery" is wrong

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Anonymous said...

TJ started the second great awakening no cap

Anonymous said...

No mike, TJ did not start the 2nd great awakening

Anonymous said...

TJ sure as fukkkk started the second great awakening

Anonymous said...

Dont swear, but TJ prolly started the second great awakening

Anonymous said...

TJ started the second great awakening fr

Anonymous said...

fr we counting on tj for a third great awakening tho. imma have to get involved if he dont step up soon

Anonymous said...



Thanks! But I would disagree about the role of Methodists and Baptists supporting slavery. Methodist churches, especially, were the ones that openly invited free African Americans into their congregations. It was their segregation, though, that caused Richard Allen to found the AME (African Methodist Episcopal) Church.

Unknown said...

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Unknown said...

slavery (fire emoji)