Mr. L APUSH - The First Great Awakening (updated)

Mr. Laubach

5 Oct 202105:58

Summary

TLDRThe Great Awakening, spanning 1730-1770 in the American colonies, was a significant religious revival that challenged traditional religious authority and sparked a wave of conversions to Christianity. It was a reaction to the Enlightenment, emphasizing human reason over religious dogma. Key figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield played pivotal roles with their powerful preaching styles. The movement divided the colonies into 'New Lights,' who embraced emotionalism and questioned colonial authority, and 'Old Lights,' who favored traditional practices. The Awakening led to new universities, increased religious diversity, and laid the groundwork for the American Revolution by advocating for separation of church and state and freedom of speech.

Takeaways

🕍 The Great Awakening was a religious revival in the American colonies from 1730 to the 1770s, with the most prominent period in the 1730s and 1740s.
🌟 It was a reaction against the Enlightenment, emphasizing a return to religious fervor and challenging traditional religious authority.
📚 The revival was facilitated by the spread of print culture, allowing ideas from Europe to reach the American colonies.
🔄 There was a shift from Puritan beliefs in predestination to a belief in salvation for all, leading to increased evangelicalism.
🤝 Key figures of the Great Awakening included Jonathan Edwards, known for his sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God', and George Whitefield, an itinerant preacher with a charismatic style.
🌐 Edwards and Whitefield were influential, with Whitefield traveling extensively across the colonies, while Edwards was based in New England.
💡 The Great Awakening saw the rise of 'New Lights', who supported the revival and its progressive views, and 'Old Lights', who were against it and favored traditional practices.
🏛 New Light supporters began to question colonial authority and the need for democratic views in society, contrasting with Old Light resistance to change.
🏫 The revival led to the founding of new universities, such as Dartmouth, Princeton, and Brown, and increased religious diversity.
🌱 It also saw more African Americans converting to Christianity and participating in religious life.
🔥 The Great Awakening helped to plant the seeds for the American Revolution and the push for independence from Britain, influenced by Enlightenment ideals.

Q & A

What was the Great Awakening?
-The Great Awakening was a progressive religious revival that spread throughout the English colonies in the Americas from 1730 to the 1770s, with the most prominent period being the 1730s through the 1740s. It was a revival of religious sentiments and increased importance in Christianity.
How is the Great Awakening connected to the Enlightenment?
-The Great Awakening was a reaction to the Enlightenment, which emphasized human reason and thinking over religious beliefs. The print culture allowed for the spread of Enlightenment ideas in the colonies, challenging traditional religious authority and leading to a revival of religious fervor.
What was the role of evangelicalism in the Great Awakening?
-Evangelicalism played a significant role in the Great Awakening by promoting a direct relationship with the Bible and encouraging individuals to spread the gospel. It led to a belief in salvation for all and a decrease in the importance of predestination and traditional religious practices.
Who were the two key figures of the Great Awakening?
-The two key figures of the Great Awakening were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Edwards is credited with starting the revival with his sermons, most notably 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' while Whitefield introduced a new, energetic style of evangelical preaching.
What was the significance of Jonathan Edwards' sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God'?
-Jonathan Edwards' sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God' was significant as it combined fire and brimstone with Enlightenment ideas, creating a powerful and almost scary sermon that contributed to the religious revival and challenged traditional religious authority.
How did George Whitefield's preaching style differ from Jonathan Edwards'?
-George Whitefield differed from Jonathan Edwards by being an 'itinerary preacher,' traveling extensively across the eastern seaboard. He believed that ordinary people could have profound religious experiences without the need for ministers, which was a departure from Edwards' more localized influence in New England.
What were the characteristics of the New Lights in the Great Awakening?
-The New Lights were supporters of the Great Awakening who believed in emotionalism, a less traditional approach to religion, and the importance of democracy. They questioned colonial authority and were more progressive in their religious views.
What were the characteristics of the Old Lights in the Great Awakening?
-The Old Lights were against the Great Awakening, resisting emotionalism and favoring traditional religious practices. They believed in maintaining the religious status quo as it was during the earlier colonial periods.
What were some of the impacts of the Great Awakening?
-The impacts of the Great Awakening included the formation of new light universities, the emergence of more branches of Christianity, increased religious diversity, and the conversion of more African Americans. It also led to the first unifying experience for the colonists and strengthened calls for separation of church and state.
How did the Great Awakening contribute to the American Revolution?
-The Great Awakening contributed to the American Revolution by fostering a sense of unity among the colonists, promoting democratic ideals, and challenging colonial authority. These developments laid the groundwork for the later calls for independence from Great Britain.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 The Great Awakening: Revival and Enlightenment

This paragraph introduces the Great Awakening, a significant religious revival that occurred in the American colonies from 1730 to the 1770s. It highlights the revival's connection to the Enlightenment, emphasizing the shift from traditional religious authority to a more individualistic approach to faith. The paragraph discusses the role of evangelicalism, which encouraged a direct relationship with the Bible and the spread of the gospel. Key figures of the movement, Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, are introduced, noting their contributions to the revival. Edwards, with his sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' and Whitefield, with his itinerant preaching style, are credited with influencing the Awakening. The paragraph also contrasts the 'Old Lights,' who resisted the revival and favored traditional religious practices, with the 'New Lights,' who embraced the revival's progressive and democratic ideals.

05:00

🏛️ Impacts of the Great Awakening on Society and Education

The second paragraph delves into the impacts of the Great Awakening on colonial society. It discusses the establishment of new universities, such as Dartmouth, Princeton, and Brown, which were influenced by the New Lights' emphasis on education and religious diversity. The paragraph also notes the increased conversion and involvement of African Americans in religion, reflecting the Awakening's role in unifying the colonies under a shared religious experience. The movement's challenge to traditional authority and its alignment with Enlightenment ideals, such as the separation of church and state and freedom of speech, are highlighted as precursors to the American Revolution and the push for independence from Britain.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Great Awakening

The Great Awakening refers to a period of widespread religious revival that occurred in the American colonies in the 18th century, specifically from 1730 to the 1770s. It was characterized by a renewed emphasis on personal salvation and the importance of a direct, personal relationship with God. This revival challenged traditional religious authority and led to the emergence of new religious movements and denominations. In the video, the Great Awakening is central to understanding the religious and social changes of the era, with figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield playing pivotal roles in spreading its influence.

💡Enlightenment

The Enlightenment was an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries. It emphasized reason, individualism, and skepticism of traditional authority, including religious doctrines. In the context of the video, the Enlightenment is connected to the Great Awakening as it influenced the religious revival by promoting ideas that challenged the status quo and encouraged individuals to question established beliefs, leading to a more democratic and less hierarchical approach to religion.

💡Evangelicalism

Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement that emphasizes the importance of a born-again experience, the authority of the Bible, and the need for personal conversion. During the Great Awakening, evangelicalism played a significant role as it encouraged individuals to have a direct, personal relationship with God and to spread the gospel to others. The video highlights how this movement contributed to the religious revival by promoting a more personal and emotional approach to faith, as opposed to the more formal and institutionalized religious practices of the time.

💡Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards was a prominent American theologian and preacher during the First Great Awakening. He is known for his sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,' which combined elements of Enlightenment thought with traditional religious teachings. Edwards' sermons were influential in sparking the revival and in challenging the established religious order. In the video, Edwards is presented as a key figure in the Great Awakening, symbolizing the intellectual and religious ferment of the period.

💡George Whitefield

George Whitefield was an English Anglican cleric who became one of the most prominent preachers of the Great Awakening in the American colonies. Known for his itinerant preaching style, Whitefield traveled extensively throughout the colonies, drawing large crowds and promoting a more emotional and experiential form of Christianity. His charismatic preaching style and emphasis on personal religious experience were influential in spreading the revival. The video contrasts Whitefield's approach with that of Edwards, highlighting the diversity of religious expression during the Great Awakening.

💡Old Lights

Old Lights were those who opposed the religious revival of the Great Awakening and adhered to traditional religious practices and beliefs. They resisted the emotionalism and progressive ideas promoted by the New Lights, favoring a more conservative and established approach to religion. In the video, the Old Lights are contrasted with the New Lights to illustrate the religious and social divisions that emerged during the Great Awakening, reflecting the broader cultural conflicts of the era.

💡New Lights

New Lights were the supporters of the Great Awakening who embraced the revival's emphasis on emotional religious experiences and a more democratic approach to religion. They were often critical of the established church hierarchy and advocated for greater religious freedom and individualism. The video discusses how New Lights like Edwards and Whitefield challenged traditional religious authority and contributed to the emergence of new religious movements and a more diverse religious landscape in the colonies.

💡Predestination

Predestination was a Calvinist doctrine that held that God had already determined who would be saved and who would be damned. This belief was central to early Puritan theology in the American colonies. However, during the Great Awakening, the emphasis shifted towards the idea that salvation could be achieved by all who experienced a personal conversion. The video notes how the Great Awakening challenged the Puritan belief in predestination, contributing to a more inclusive and accessible understanding of salvation.

💡Religious Diversity

The Great Awakening led to an increase in religious diversity in the American colonies as new denominations and sects emerged in response to the revival. This diversity was a result of the challenge to traditional religious authority and the emphasis on personal religious experience. The video highlights how the Great Awakening contributed to the establishment of new universities and the spread of different Christian denominations, reflecting a more pluralistic religious landscape.

💡American Revolution

The American Revolution refers to the political upheaval that led to the independence of the United States from Great Britain in the late 18th century. The video suggests that the Great Awakening played a role in laying the groundwork for the Revolution by fostering a spirit of independence and questioning of authority, both religious and political. The religious revival helped to create a sense of unity among the colonists and encouraged the development of democratic ideals that would later be reflected in the push for political independence.

Highlights

The Great Awakening was a religious revival in the Americas from 1730 to the 1770s.

It was a reaction to the Enlightenment, emphasizing human reason over religious teachings.

The revival increased the importance of Christianity and challenged traditional religious authority.

The Great Awakening saw a rise in evangelicalism and a focus on personal salvation through the Bible.

Jonathan Edwards is credited with starting the Great Awakening with his sermon 'Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God'.

George Whitefield introduced a new style of evangelical preaching, traveling extensively across the colonies.

Whitefield's charismatic preaching style had a profound impact, even influencing figures like Benjamin Franklin.

The 'New Lights' supported the Great Awakening, advocating for emotionalism and a less traditional view of religion.

The 'Old Lights' resisted the Great Awakening, favoring traditional religious practices and authority.

The Great Awakening led to the formation of new universities, such as Dartmouth, Princeton, and Brown.

It resulted in increased religious diversity and the emergence of more Christian denominations.

More African Americans became involved in religion during this period.

The Great Awakening was a unifying experience for the diverse colonies.

It strengthened calls for the separation of church and state, aligning with Enlightenment ideals.

The Great Awakening laid the groundwork for the American Revolution and the push for independence.