Great Awakening

Definition

The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals that swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leading to significant changes in the religious and political landscape of the pre-revolutionary period.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The Great Awakening was a response to the perceived decline in religious fervor and the growing influence of Enlightenment ideas in the colonies.
2. The revivals were led by charismatic preachers, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, who emphasized the need for personal conversion and a direct relationship with God.
3. The Great Awakening challenged the traditional authority of the established churches and clergy, leading to the growth of new denominations and a more decentralized religious landscape.
4. The religious revivals also had political implications, as they helped to foster a sense of colonial identity and a growing desire for self-governance.
5. The Great Awakening contributed to the development of a more democratic and participatory political culture in the colonies, setting the stage for the American Revolution.

Review Questions

• Describe the key features and impact of the Great Awakening on colonial society.
  • The Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals that swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s. It was characterized by a focus on personal conversion, emotional and experiential forms of worship, and the growth of evangelical Christianity. The revivals challenged the authority of the established churches and clergy, leading to the growth of new denominations and a more decentralized religious landscape. The Great Awakening also had political implications, as it helped to foster a sense of colonial identity and a growing desire for self-governance, setting the stage for the American Revolution.
• Explain how the Great Awakening contributed to the development of a more democratic and participatory political culture in the colonies.
  • The Great Awakening challenged the traditional authority of the established churches and clergy, empowering ordinary colonists to take a more active role in their religious and political lives. The revivals fostered a sense of colonial identity and a growing desire for self-governance, as the colonists began to see themselves as distinct from the British Empire. This shift towards a more democratic and participatory political culture was a key factor in the lead-up to the American Revolution, as the colonists became increasingly willing to challenge the authority of the British government and assert their own rights and liberties.
• Analyze the relationship between the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment in the pre-revolutionary period, and how this relationship influenced the political and social changes in the colonies.
  • The Great Awakening was in part a response to the growing influence of Enlightenment ideas in the colonies, which were seen by some as a threat to traditional religious authority and values. The revivals emphasized the importance of personal conversion and a direct relationship with God, in contrast to the more rational and secular worldview of the Enlightenment. However, the Great Awakening also contributed to the development of a more democratic and participatory political culture, as the colonists began to challenge the authority of the established churches and clergy and assert their own rights and liberties. This tension between the religious fervor of the Great Awakening and the rational, secular ideals of the Enlightenment helped to shape the political and social changes that led to the American Revolution.

Related terms

Religious Revival: A period of increased religious fervor and participation, often characterized by emotional and experiential forms of worship.

Evangelical Christianity: A branch of Protestant Christianity that emphasizes personal conversion, the authority of the Bible, and the importance of evangelism and missionary work.

Colonial Society: The social, economic, and political structures of the American colonies prior to the American Revolution.