Religion and Thought Before the Civil War

Objectives Describe the Second Great Awakening. Explain why some religious groups suffered from discrimination in the mid-1800s. Trace the emergence of the utopian and Transcendentalist movements. Header to 24 pt

Terms and People Second Great Awakening – a religious revival movement in the first half of the 1800s revivalist – a preacher who works to renew the importance of religion in American life Charles Grandison Finney – influential revivalist who dramatically proclaimed his own faith while urging others do the same evangelical – a style of worship meant to elicit powerful emotions to gain converts

Terms and People (continued) Joseph Smith – founder of the Church of Latter Day Saints Mormon – member of the Church of Latter Day Saints, which was organized in 1830 by Joseph Smith Unitarian – members of the Unitarian religion, which is based on the belief that God is a single divine being rather than a trinity utopian community – separate settlement established with the goal of moral perfection 4

Terms and People (continued) Transcendentalist – person who follows the literary and philosophical movement based on finding spiritual reality through nature and consciousness of self Ralph Waldo Emerson – leading Transcendentalist who celebrated the interplay between the individual and the universe Henry David Thoreau – follower of Emerson who argued that a person should be true to his or her own conscience, even if it means breaking the law 5

How did the Second Great Awakening affect life in the United States? By the early 1800s, the United States was well established as an independent, growing country. Many Americans believed that the best future for the United States was one in which its citizens embraced religion.

Second Great Awakening In the early 1800s, a new burst of religious enthusiasm swept America. Second Great Awakening Revivalist preachers urged a renewal of faith that they felt was critical to the nation’s future. Religious fervor was fanned at outdoor religious services, know as revivals. As church membership skyrocketed, a social reform movement also developed. 7

Evangelical revivals began on the Kentucky frontier and spread to the cities of the Northeast by the 1820s. Charles Grandison Finney dramatically proclaimed his faith, urging followers to do the same. Lyman Beecher, later president of the Lane Theological Seminary, trained new evangelical preachers. Many sermons preached of millennialism and the belief that the United States was leading the world into this period of glory that would follow the Second Coming of Jesus. 8

Revivals or camp meetings sometimes went on for days Revivals or camp meetings sometimes went on for days. They often included inspiring music and plentiful food.

As this religious fervor grew Some American said the government should endorse religion, while others argued that religion should not influence public life. This debate over church and state continues today. African Americans embraced because it promised an afterlife of eternal freedom after a life of enslavement. Slave revolts increased, with their leaders claiming religious inspiration. As this religious fervor grew 10

Several new religious groups formed. A liberal Christian group that diverged from a literal interpretation of the bible and influenced many subsequent religious movements. Unitarians Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Also know as Mormons, this religion quickly attracted new members. 11

Most Americans were Protestant Most Americans were Protestant. Some were tolerant of other religions, but others were not. Mormons were attacked in New York, Ohio, and Missouri. They fled to Nauvoo, Illinois, where Smith was murdered in 1844. Finally, Brigham Young led them to the Great Salt Lake in Utah, far from hostile neighbors. The Mormons, founded by Joseph Smith, faced discrimination and persecution.

Catholics and Jewish people also faced discrimination. State constitutions prohibited Jewish people from holding office. Some believed that Catholic loyalty to the Pope was incompatible with American democracy. 13

Some people formed communal settlements separate from the larger society. These settlements, called utopian communities, sought to share property, labor, and family life. Some 50 of these settlements were organized, but they did not last long. In contrast, the Shakers flourished during the early 1800s, largely because they produced high-quality crafts and produce. 14

Transcendentalists believed people could go beyond their senses, or transcend them, to learn universal truths and become closer to God. They believed that truth about the universe came from nature and their own consciences rather than from religious doctrine. The leading Transcendentalist, Ralph Waldo Emerson, celebrated his beliefs in sermons, essays, and poems. Many of these writings were published in The Dial, the group’s magazine. 15

Henry David Thoreau, one of the most important Transcendentalists, was jailed in 1846 after refusing to pay taxes to support the Mexican-American war, which he viewed as immoral. In “Civil Disobedience,” he argues that a person must be true to his conscience even if it means breaking the law. In Walden, he wrote about the religious inspiration he derived from nature by living alone in the woods for two years. 16