Get out ESSAY to be stamped! Unit 2 Colonial America Part 6 The Enlightenment The Great Awakening Get out ESSAY to be stamped!

1692 – A group of young girls in Salem claimed to have been bewitched by a few middle-aged women. Puritan officials launched an investigation that became a hysterical witch hunt, lasting until 1693 & causing the deaths of 20 people, mostly women.

The Salem Witch Trials reflected public anxiety over recent Indian attacks as well as fears that the Congregationalist Church was losing authority. The fact that most of the accused were single, property-owning women also reflected the social & gender conflicts in colonial New England.

By the mid-1700’s, the Congregationalist Church was losing much of its authority in New England communities. To retain members, Puritans instituted the Half-Way Covenant. This allowed people who were not among the “elect” to join the church, which damaged the unity of Puritan doctrine.

The Enlightenment, AKA the Age of Reason, emphasized a worldview based on logic, reason & science. This secular worldview was a direct challenge to traditional church authority. Enlightenment thinkers emphasized the natural laws that govern both the physical world as well as social, political, & economic relationships. By using rational thinking, logic, & reason, they believed they could understand natural law & create a perfect society.

Timed Rally Robin: Face Partner How do you think the Enlightenment will effect the religious perspectives of the colonists? Each partner will have 20 seconds to respond.

John Locke - argued that people were born w/ natural rights, including the right to life, liberty, & property. Rousseau – argued that governments should be formed by the consent of the people based on a social contract. Montesquieu – argued that political power should be separated into 3 branches of government w/ checks & balances.

Many Enlightenment thinkers, such as Voltaire, demanded religious tolerance & embraced a religious philosophy known as deism. Deists believe that the universe was created by a Supreme Being based on natural laws. With natural laws set in motion, the Supreme Being observes without taking an active role in worldly matters. The analogy most used is a watch maker who, once the watch is wound, allows it to run as designed.

In the 1730’s, a religious movement known as the Great Awakening began as a response to both the Enlightenment & traditional church authority. People were encouraged to embrace pietism, which stressed devoutness & a personal, emotional union w/ God.

Jonathan Edwards taught that the path to salvation was through repentance & being born again George Whitefield challenged church authority by claiming not all ministers were born again. New congregations, such as Baptists & Presbyterians, formed & gained followers. In the South, Baptists were criticized for converting slaves to Christianity.

The Great Awakening was spread by revivals outside of traditional churches. New Light ministers challenged the authority of Old Light pastors in both religious & community matters. Many Congregationalist churches began adopting the ideals of the Great Awakening.

The Great Awakening not only impacted religious belief in America but also social & political ideals. The doctrine that all are equal under God meant that all must be equal socially & politically as well. The Great Awakening was the last blow which broke the power of the Church elites who controlled government, leading to the eventual separation between church & state. However, many traditional Puritan ideals, such as the Protestant work ethic, remained integral to American culture.

Rally Coach: Sermon Time Working with your shoulder partners, you will read through Jonathan Edward’s, “Sinners in the hands of an angry God”. You will use the structure Rally Coach to answer the corresponding questions.