The Great Awakening

Have you ever wondered about the Great Awakening? I've been curious about it over recent years and am amazed that it is just skipped over on a regular basis in history classes in the public sectors. Is it skipped because it's not interesting or is it skipped because the teacher is afraid to talk about religion and the interesting things that happened during that time.

Over time in American history, we find four cases of religious revivals that changed the way that America was functioning. The Great Awakenings are marked by a rising interest in religion and came with new converts, new denominations and new innovations. While most of these awakenings occurred across the globe, the uniqueness to America makes the Awakenings stand out. This might because America, the melting pot of the world, is home to many different religions, denominations and expressions. Because the United States hasn't had a state religion, citizens are more open and aware of the religions around them.

The First Great Awakening took place during the 1730s - 1740s and was found mainly in England and the Americas. The roots of this revival can be found in the Enlightenment Era but it was individuals such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield that brought powerful preaching to America. Their messages aimed at convincing listeners of their personal guilt and neefor salvation and was carried to all of the American Colonies via letters, revival meetings and personal experience.

The Second Great Awakening took place from 1800-1830 and encouraged action. Listeners were encouraged to take to the streets and get involved in social activism (prison reform, asylum reform, slave trade, temperance, etc). Many young women saw that their lives did not have to be revolve around marriage and family and chose not to pursue that avenue instead serving others. Women like Dorothea Dix, Harriett Beecher Stowe and Sojourner Truth came onto the scene with the fervor of the Awakening pushing them forward.

The Third Great Awakening started shortly before the American Civil War and was interrupted by the war. The interruption most likely caused the elongation until the early 1900s. Dwight Moody stands out in the third Awakening and the movement helped to bring in the Progressive Movement and the social gospel movement. Jane Addams and the Salvation Army are key players who came to the forefront.

The Fourth Great Awakening is controversial because it's only about religion. It didn't change the way that Americans did things but the traditions of the church. Often times it is referred to as the Jesus Movement and reflects back to the Charasmatic movement with healings, speaking in tongues and prophesy. These manifestations were also found in the first Awakening.

Most historians have debated what impact the Great Awakening had on America. I find that peculiar when you look at the amount of primary sources available from founding fathers that reflect back to the era of the Awakening and the changes in America. In comparing the four Awakenings, I believe that the First Great Awakening changed the course of the Americas. Instead of being a subservient child to the parent country of England, they became teenagers and rebelled against the rules, allowing peopel to see that they had a self worth and were capable of making their own decisions.

I believe that the Great Awakening is the first American event and put the American Colonies on the road to Revolution.