Introduction
The growth of America has been significantly influenced by religion throughout its history. The primary motivation for colonial America before its establishment was the desire to practice for the sake of religious freedom. The term Great Awakening typically alludes to a religious revival, particularly in Protestant cultures (Tracy, 2018). Some aspects of the Awakening typically involve a shift in customary behaviors as well as a focus that sparks a new upsurge in religious fervor. Many people believe that the Great Awakening effectively united the colonies and caused the Revolutionary War. Before the Great Awakening, the majority of colonies ran independently of one another. The division would effectively inspire various coastal villages to connect, creating both a common enemy and common ground (Grasso, 2018). As a result, there would be a rift between the Church of England and the colonies.
The Great Awakening also spanned the 18th to the 20th centuries and was marked by the creation of new religious movements, widespread revivals led by Protestant priests, a rise in religious interest, and a rapid rise in the number of churchgoers. The centrality of church beliefs was downplayed during the Great Awakening, and individual spiritual practice took center stage. People in the colonies of Europe and America began to question their place in society and religion, which marked the start of the phenomenon (Winiarski, 2019). People depended more on a personal approach to emancipation than on cathedral beliefs because of an enlightenment that stressed logical reasoning and the individual’s capacity to comprehend the universe based on scientific law at the same time. Both the English and American colonies experienced a spiritual renaissance and profound Awakening after a decade of apathy.
The First Awakening
Beginning in 1720 and lasting several decades, the First Great Awakening took place. The political and religious domains of this period can theoretically be separated. The height of the religious revival occurred between 1730 and 1760, and it was distinguished by different theological developments. For instance, the demise of the idea of predestination, the acceptance that many sinners might be predestined for salvation, the establishment of revival gatherings, and the development of a charitable ethic (Winiarski, 2019). Additionally, the Church’s pastors helped lead the powerful revival, and pastoral practices have evolved. The sermons of preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, who provided their listeners with a sense of the personal revelation of their need for salvation through Jesus Christ, elicited an emotional response from their audiences (Tracy, 2018). As a result, Christianity has grown more meaningful to people because it promotes a sense of spiritual conviction, fosters reflection, and promotes moral behavior. A revolution in America, an attack on British corruption, a belief in equal opportunity, and the emergence of egalitarianism as a national ethic marked the period between 1760 and 1790 as one of increasing political influence (Grasso, 2018). Additionally, as Whitefield fought for freedom, the evangelical movement contributed to the expansion of democracy.
The Second Awakening
Following the revival of Cane Ridge in Kentucky in the late 18th century, the Second Great Awakening got underway. It was a time of religious resurgence when people believed that anybody could obtain grace by overcoming sin. Additionally, the general introduction of the benevolence principle and the development of millennialism were made (Winiarski, 2019). The advent of the Adventist movement during this time, together with the preaching of activists like William Miller, sparked the growth of several religious movements. The second revival also gave rise to reform movements that sought to get America ready for the return of Christ, radical ideas, and civil war (Grasso, 2018). The nativist and temperance movements, which forbade the selling of alcohol, were examples of reform movements, while the abolition movement gave rise to the Republican Party. On the other hand, some of them sought to enact broad changes intended to remove obstacles to equal opportunity, combat slavery, and combat corruption in the South.
The Third and Fourth Awakenings
Beginning in the late 19th century and lasting almost fifty years, the Third Great Awakening took place. During the period of religious revival that accompanied this wave, the emphasis was on social sin and the perception that society was to blame for poverty. Labor reforms and the women’s rights movement marked the third Awakening’s political landscape (Grasso, 2018). Additionally, the government upheld the idea of equality of conditions by taxing the wealthy and redistributing the proceeds to the poor to support social security programs (Tracy, 2018). The acceptance of gender-based behavior and discrimination based on sexual orientation have also come under fire as a result of the attacks on racial and religious barriers to equal opportunity.
The Fourth and last Great Awakening got underway in the last century, approximately after the 1950s. The rapid growth of religion, the establishment of the idea of personal sin, the focus on personal accountability, and devotion to the family were characteristics of the religious revival phase of this wave (Grasso, 2018). Attacks on the growth of the tax revolt, materialistic corruption, and property rights started to take hold in politics.
Conclusion
The British colonies’ first significant social movement essentially became the Great Awakening. The Great Awakening, which was marked by intense religious zeal and strong expressions of faith, altered the idea and organization of religion in the colonies, with long-term social and economic repercussions for the colonists. It can be seen that the Great Awakening began the process of eroding the clergy’s influence while also raising concerns about the standing of the Congregational and Anglican churches in the colonies. Social change was also a result of the Great Awakening. The religious movement brought the colonies together and allowed them to share a common set of beliefs for the first time. It is nonetheless significant as the initial message that will bind the colonies, even though it is not as significant as a political union.
The Great Awakening also put a greater emphasis on education by creating higher education facilities to prepare the expanding number of preachers and clergy in the colonies. Despite not having an economic focus, the Great Awakening gave rise to some concepts that would alter the character of the economy. The Great Awakening represented class divisions since its ideas were more likely to have an impact on those from lower social levels. However, as people’s interest in religious growth and spiritual Awakening increased, the importance of the material world seemed to diminish. Christians were pushed by preachers like Edwards to focus on their relationship with God rather than on temporal possessions as they attacked the social strata of the colonies. The Great Awakening was focused on spiritual ascent, not economic growth. The spiritual makeup of the colonies was altered by the religious expansion that came along with the Great Awakening, which also sparked social and economic transformation.
References
Grasso, C. (2018). Skepticism and American faith: From the Revolution to the Civil War. Oxford University Press.
Tracy, J. (2018). The Great Awakening: A history of the revival of religion in the time of Edwards and Whitefield. Cleruch Publishing.
Winiarski, D. L. (2019). Darkness Falls on the Land of Light: Experiencing Religious Awakenings in Eighteenth-Century New England. UNC Press Books.