First Great Awakening

Definition

The First Great Awakening was a religious revival movement that swept through the American colonies during the 1730s and 1740s, characterized by fervent expressions of faith, emotional preaching, and a focus on personal piety. This movement significantly impacted colonial society by fostering a sense of shared identity among colonists and challenging established religious authority.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The First Great Awakening led to the establishment of new denominations, including Methodists and Baptists, as it encouraged individuals to break away from established churches.
2. Emotional preaching and personal conversion experiences became hallmarks of this movement, appealing particularly to the lower classes and marginalized groups.
3. It challenged the authority of traditional ministers and established churches, promoting a more egalitarian approach to worship and faith.
4. The movement helped to unify colonists across different regions and backgrounds, fostering a sense of shared identity that would later contribute to revolutionary sentiments.
5. The First Great Awakening also laid the groundwork for increased religious tolerance and pluralism in colonial America, as diverse groups began to coexist more openly.

Review Questions

• How did the First Great Awakening impact social structures in colonial society?
  • The First Great Awakening reshaped social structures by challenging traditional hierarchies within religion. As preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield inspired passionate responses from their audiences, common people felt empowered to express their faith. This shift diminished the control that established churches had over their congregants, fostering a more egalitarian atmosphere within religious practice that would extend into other social dimensions.
• In what ways did the First Great Awakening contribute to the emergence of new religious denominations in America?
  • The First Great Awakening spurred the formation of new religious denominations as many people sought alternatives to established churches. The emphasis on personal piety and emotional worship allowed groups like Methodists and Baptists to attract followers who were dissatisfied with traditional worship practices. This diversification of religious expression not only transformed the spiritual landscape of the colonies but also promoted greater religious pluralism.
• Evaluate how the First Great Awakening set the stage for future social and political movements in America.
  • The First Great Awakening laid important groundwork for future social and political movements by promoting individualism, challenging traditional authority, and fostering a collective identity among colonists. This revivalist spirit encouraged people to question not only religious structures but also social hierarchies and governance. As colonists developed a sense of shared experience through their participation in these revivals, it galvanized sentiments that would later influence revolutionary ideals and movements seeking independence from British rule.

Related terms

Jonathan Edwards:

A prominent preacher during the First Great Awakening known for his fire-and-brimstone sermons, particularly 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' which emphasized the need for personal repentance.

George Whitefield:

An influential Anglican preacher whose passionate preaching style attracted large crowds and played a key role in spreading the revivalist spirit across the colonies.

Religious pluralism: The coexistence of multiple religious beliefs and practices within a society, which became more pronounced as a result of the First Great Awakening, leading to new denominations and sects.