Religious Revivalism and Utopian Idealism

Second Great Awakening 1797 – 1859 1st Awakening had occurred in the 1740s 2nd began among frontier farmers of Kentucky Spread among Methodists, Baptists, and Presbyterians Christians have a moral duty to improve society Let God in and gain admission to heaven through acts of faith

Charles G. Finney 1792 – 1875 Presbyterian minister Allowed women to participate in public prayer Taught that everyone has the ability to gain salvation through repentance and good works that demonstrate faith Planned and rehearsed his revivals

Tent Revivals Traveling ministers would set up tents and preach, often for up to a week at the time Singing, prayers, and motivational sermons, were all designed to whip up the crowd into emotional protestations of faith

Lyman Beecher 1775 – 1863 Revivalist Presbyterian minister Father of Harriet Beecher Stowe Preached that citizens, not government ,are responsible for building a better society Strongly nativist and anti-Catholic

Benevolent societies Developed in large cities and towns to spread Protestant Christianity Soon began to focus on social issues such as temperance, prison reform, education reform, and abolitionism

“True Womanhood” Sometimes called “The Cult of Domesticity” Woman’s responsibility to be homemakers and to raise children of good character Women are more moral and charitable than men; models of piety and virtue to their children and husbands Implied that wives were their husbands social equals and their moral superiors Can’t build a moral home in a corrupt society, so women assumed role of social activists

Revivalism and abolition Most revivalists were also staunch supporters of the abolitionist movement Taught that slavery was sinful; slavery destroys the soul of the master while it destroys the body of the slave

The Unitarians Jesus not the Son of God, but was an important teacher – there were no Virgin Birth, no miracles, and no Resurrection God is a unity, not a trinity (God is One) Still considered a Christian church

The Universalists Believed in Universal salvation – there is no Hell and God redeems everyone because He loves everyone God would not create a person knowing that they were doomed to eternal damnation

The Mormons Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Started in New York, but were victims of constant harassment Moved to Ohio, then Missouri, then the town of Commerce, Illinois in 1839 Renamed the town Nauvoo After founder’s murder in 1844, Mormons resettled in Utah

Joseph Smith 1805 – 1844 Recorder of The Book of Mormon – received from an angel – which describes how Israelites arrived in America around 600 BC and were later visited by Jesus Had numerous legal run-ins in Missouri and Illinois which eventually led to his arrest Murdered by a mob in 1844 while awaiting trial

Brigham Young 1801 – 1877 President of Mormon church from 1847 -1877 Founded Salt Lake City, Utah 1st Governor of Utah Led the Mormons west to Utah to escape persecution Practiced polygamy, had 55 wives

Utopian Communities Attempts to establish socially perfect communities, usually through equal communal sharing of all work, responsibilities and rewards

New Harmony, Indiana Town was bought in 1824 by utopians under Robert Owen with the intention of building it into a perfect socialist community No private property, no money Community failed and was dissolved in 1829

Oneida Community, NY Founded by John Noyes in 1848 in Oneida, NY; lasted until 1881 All members of the community shared in work (making silverware) Every man was married to every woman in the community (called complex marriage or free love) Old women introduced young men to sex, while old men did the same for young women (to avoid pregnancies) Efforts were made to breed more perfect children by careful selection of breeding partners; children were then raised by the community rather than by specific parents Community reached maximum size of about 300, but still managed to produce Two men who would assassinate US presidents! (Garfield & McKinley)

Brook Farm Founded in 1841, near west Roxbury, MA Transcendentalist community Citizens would share all labor, be each others intellectual stimulation Community collapsed economically after being destroyed by fire in 1847

Shakers The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing Founded by Ann Lee (who Shakers believed to be the Second Appearing of Christ) in England; offshoot of the Quakers No marriage allowed, lifelong celibacy required Shakers would adopt orphans to keep communities alive All work and living quarters were divided by sex, but the sexes were equals Peaked in mid 1800s with about 6000 members, today only 3 known practitioners in the US