The American Pageant: Chapter 15

Religion under the Founding Fathers Before the reform and revival, 3/4ths of Americans attended church in During the Revolution, Thomas Paine’s “The Age of Reason” shot down churches by saying they were trying to enslave and terrorize and monopolize power. Founding Fathers were deists or people that believed God created a mechanical world. The world was running itself without God’s intervention. Deists also believed that God gave humans the capacity to have moral behavior.

Unitarians Believed in God as one person rather than the Trinity Stressed the goodness of people’s behavior versus the vileness. Free will and salvation by good works. God was a loving Father, not a stern Creator. Against predestination and Calvinism

Revivalism Started in the south spread to the northeast eventually Second Great Awakening – a wave of spiritual fervor church reorganization passionate evangelicalism new sects prison reform, temperance cause, women’s movement, abolitionism Huge camp meetings spread the Awakening to the masses several days where gospel was served up by a preacher dancing, barking many saved went back to sinful ways later boosted church membership Some even were moved to do missionary work

Methodist Revival 1839

Methodists and Baptists Personal conversion (versus predestination) democratic control of church affairs emotionalism Peter Cartwright Travelling frontier preacher – Methodist Called upon sinners to repent Converted thousands would physically beat up people that tried to crash his meetings Charles Grandison Finney Was a lawyer, left bar to become evangelist Rochester and NYC encouraged women to pray aloud Against alcohol and slavery

Cartwright and Finney

Millerites (Adventists) Commanded by William Miller Interpreted the Bible as saying Christ would return to earth on October 22, 1844 Gathered in prayerful assemblies to greet Christ Jesus failing to appear caused some to lose heart but it didn’t destroy the movement.

Mormonism Joseph Smith advocated cooperation versus individualism and free enterprise which the high ranking Americans did not like. Made people angry by voting as a unit and drilling militia for defensive purposed. Mormon Moses – Brigham Young led the Mormons into Utah while singing “Come, Come Ye Saints” Polygamy Statehood in Utah in 1896

Women and the Church Middle class women and daughters and wives of businessmen were the first to jump into the revivalism Majority of new church members Most likely to stick with their faith Women were apprehensive of the changes and more likely to be converted Women were given role of bringing family and husband back to God

Revivalism and division Conservative denominations in the East were not affected much. The wealthy educated took on Presbyterianism, Episcopalism, Congregationalism, and Unitarianism The less fortunate took on Methodism and Baptists. (rural south and west) Slavery divided religions into regions

Education Available for all whites Women rarely achieved higher education Horace Mann – reforms for education Universities – established to show local pride many based on teaching religion Noah Webster Improved textbooks Reading lessons were used to promote patriotism as well as teach reading Published Webster’s dictionary in William H. McGuffey Published grade school readers these readers promoted morality, patriotism, and idealism