The Second Great Awakening - 1790 Leyang Bai, Yuhui Lee, Sunny Lu, Belle Hsu

Origins Began in late 1700s; early 1800s Initially in Kentucky Causes: Americans’ lack in church attendance People believed that God did not care for his followers’ attendance, he only valued the way they lived their lives People focused on work and earning money Reaction to Secularism Took two forms: Social activism New Denominations

Religious denominations Hundreds converted their religions in weeks and churches gained thousands of new converts Evangelicaling of the west Conviction that God’s “good news” of salvation through Christ should be offered to everyone and that Christians should lead others to salvation Charles Grandison Finney Former attorney of law who turned to preaching, inspired hundreds of converts at each of his evangelical revivals Camp Meetings: church pastors preached their religion to large groups in the frontier for days due to the absence of established churches A majority being female converts, as well as large numbers of African Americans

Religious dENominations (continued) Major Evangelical revival locations New York’s “Burned Over District” Burned over after no people left to convert (no “fuel” to burn) Kentucky

Religious dENominations (Continued) Methodists Circuit Riders: Common people that preached religion in the frontier Baptists Ordinary citizens or farmers form congregations and become ordained as ministers or priests Formation of new denominations boomed as colonists were not satisfied by premade religions Church of Later Day Saints – Mormonism Founded by Joseph Smith, author of the Book of Mormon in April 6, 1830 Believes in God’s plan of salvation as well as existence of prophets and follows unique rituals and practices, including the practice of having more than one wife Migrated West due to religious persecution from Protestants and Catholics Unitarianism Thrived in America in the 1800s Disproved that God is a trinity New churches began to form that shared the belief

Transcendentalism Belief in the listening of nature and the human conscience to learn about the universe instead of religious doctrines Ralph Waldo Emerson Leading Transcendentalist Gave sermons to motivate others to follow his beliefs Henry David Thoreau Transcendentalist believing in the following conscience instead of devotion to the law Inspired the idea of Civil Disobedience

Impacts Utopian Society Significant decrease in crime Communities are created featuring sharing of land, family, and possessions. Focus on lower class Unification in the Frontier Members created idealistic utopias to inspire the virtue of others Increase in abolitionists Generally unsuccessful Aggravated the slavery debate between the North and the South Banning of alcohol and prostitution Increased church membership New religion sects Spawned large reform movements

Political cartoon Audience swoon while Methodist minister gives his sermon at a camp meeting Watercolor by J. Maze Burbank, (Old Dartmouth Historical Society-New Bedford Whaling Museum)

Political cartoon Based on principles of the Second Great Awakening: people must lead moral and righteous lives Alcohol leads to violence and crime. Hence, they should be banned From the collection of American Antiquarian Society

Primary source Excerpt from Baxter "Moral and Religious" in the New Hampshire Sentinel 1831: “I have thought much upon the subject of duty, as respects weekly meetings—and more especially since I have read numerous accounts of what are called four days’ meetings. I wish to conform as much as possible to the opinions of good men around me, but have been somewhat perplexed to know what to do. The direction not to be conformed to this world, has led me to inquire whether frequent weekly meetings, and the setting apart FOUR DAYS in succession, were the commands of God, or the inventions of men. While ruminating upon the subject, as I was pitching off the last load of hay for the season, neighbor Meanwell called at the barn and told me Mr ---- was going to preach on Wednesday evening, that there would be a lecture on Friday afternoon, and that on Tuesday a four days’ meeting would commence, when all the neighboring ministers would be present—no doubt many would come in from other towns, and he hoped I would not fail to attend, with my family. I thanked him for his information, and entered into conversation on various subjects, until my load of hay was safely deposited, when we sat down on the sill, and talked over the subject”.

Sources http://www.uua.org/beliefs/history/6903.shtml http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1091.html http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/outlines/history-1994/the-formation-of-a-national-government/the-second-great- awakening.php http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-second-great-awakening.htm http://www.teachushistory.org/second-great-awakening-age-reform/resources/victim-ardent-spirits Textbook pg 266-272