US History - The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening

Summary

In this educational presentation, Luis Silva explores the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment's impact on colonial America. The Great Awakening, a religious movement emphasizing individual spirituality and equality, challenged the church's authority and sowed the seeds of nationalism, leading to revolutionary sentiments. The Enlightenment, with its focus on reason and natural rights, questioned traditional governance and inspired figures like Benjamin Franklin and John Locke, who influenced the U.S. Constitution. Both movements contributed to the American Revolution, as they fostered a desire for independence and the protection of individual rights.

Takeaways

• 👑 The Divine Right of Kings was a European belief that kings derived their power from God, making their authority unquestionable.
• 🌏 Early colonists in North America were often religious dissenters seeking freedom of worship and economic opportunities.
• 🔍 The Renaissance and Scientific Revolution influenced the Enlightenment, fostering a questioning of authority and traditional beliefs.
• 🌟 The Great Awakening was a religious movement that emphasized individual spirituality and equality, challenging the established church's authority.
• 🏛️ The Enlightenment valued reason and science, advocating for natural laws as the basis for government and recognizing individual natural rights.
• 📚 The Great Awakening led to the founding of religious colleges like Princeton and Brown to educate ministers and the laity in religious studies.
• 🗣️ Key figures of the Great Awakening, such as Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, used powerful preaching to inspire and reform society.
• 🏛️ The Enlightenment's major figures, including Benjamin Franklin and Montesquieu, contributed ideas that shaped the U.S. Constitution and government structure.
• 🤔 Both the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment encouraged questioning of authority, first within the church and later within the British government.
• 💡 The Enlightenment's ideas on natural rights and the social contract influenced the American Revolution and the founding of the United States.
• 📈 The impact of these movements was profound, leading to new denominations, religious colleges, and a shift in how colonists viewed their relationship with Britain.

Q & A

What is the Divine Right of Kings and how did it impact the colonists?

The Divine Right of Kings was a belief in Europe that kings derived their power to rule directly from God, making their authority unquestionable. This belief created a problem as it meant that questioning the king's authority was akin to questioning God. Many people, including early colonists, disagreed with this notion and sought freedom to worship as they chose, which led them to leave Europe for North America.

Why did the first colonists settle in North America?

The first colonists settled in North America primarily for two reasons: to seek freedom of religion and to have the opportunity for economic growth, including the ability to own property.

How did the ideas from the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution influence the colonists?

The ideas from the Renaissance and Scientific Revolution led to a shift in how people viewed the world, themselves, and their governments. These ideas encouraged questioning of authority and traditional beliefs, which influenced the colonists' thinking and contributed to revolutionary feelings against British rule.

What was the Great Awakening and why was it significant?

The Great Awakening was a religious movement that began due to concerns that colonists had lost their religious fervor. It emphasized religious emotion over behavior, promoted equality, and stressed the importance of the individual over church authority. It also inspired a sense of nationalism among colonists, which contributed to the growing desire for independence from Britain.

How did the Great Awakening impact the religious landscape in the colonies?

The Great Awakening led to disputes among denominations, the creation of new denominations that were more inclusive of women, blacks, and Native Americans, and the founding of religious colleges to train ministers.

Who were some major figures of the Great Awakening and what were their contributions?

Major figures included Jonathan Edwards, known for his terrifying sermons that led many to repent and return to religion, and George Whitefield, a well-known preacher who raised significant funds for an orphans home, demonstrating the movement's shift towards social welfare.

What is the Enlightenment and how did it differ from the Great Awakening?

The Enlightenment was an intellectual movement that emphasized reason, science, and natural laws as the basis for government. It differed from the Great Awakening in that it was more focused on secular ideas and the questioning of traditional authority, including the divine right of kings.

What were some key ideas of the Enlightenment that influenced the American Revolution?

Key ideas included the belief in natural rights, the concept of a government's role to protect these rights, and the idea that if a government fails to do so, the people have the right to change or overthrow it.

Who were some major figures of the Enlightenment and how did they contribute to the American Revolution?

Major figures included Benjamin Franklin, known for his questioning of British authority and contributions to the American Revolution; Montesquieu, who proposed the idea of a three-branch government; and John Locke, whose ideas on natural rights and the right to overthrow a failing government greatly influenced the founding fathers.

How did the Enlightenment impact the colonists' view of the British government?

The Enlightenment led colonists to see the British government differently, encouraging them to believe that their government should protect their natural rights and to question the authority of the government, which ultimately contributed to the desire for independence.