1. Aim #8: What was the First Great Awakening and how did it affect religious beliefs in colonial America?
DO NOW! Have out homework (analysis of 2 documents) and answer questions about George Whitefield on handout)

2. The Great Awakening gave colonists a shared national religious experience: Americans had fallen “asleep” religiously and therefore needed awakening

3. (I) THE FIRST GREAT AWAKENING
Definition: series of evangelical religious revivals in the 1730s- 1770s which preached one could have a personal spiritual conversion as long as they rejected their sinful past (they could be “born again” into a life devoted to Christianity)
b. Causes
The Enlightenment: there as a movement AWAY from religion and individuals were encouraged to make decisions based on reason and logic rather than faith
2. Therefore, less people going to church so religious piety waning (diminishing)
3. Preachers felt that people needed to be concerned with inner emotions as opposed to outward religious behavior

4. My hands are in the air like I just do not care! But I do…
c. Effects
More branches of Christianity emerge; increase in religious diversity
2. Helped unify colonists throughout all the colonies (eventually one of the causes of the American Revolution)
3. New effort by European colonists to reach out to Native Americans and African-Americans
My hands are in the air like I just do not care! But I do…

6. d. Key People
Jonathan Edwards: credited with starting G.A.; “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (interesting facts: only son in a family of 11 children…needed to be noticed somehow???; President of Princeton, but died of smallpox a short time after being appointed)
2. George Whitefield: traveled to all 13 colonies to preach; Preached that “good works” and “godly lives” would bring you salvation;
Forced to give sermons in open areas (revivals) (delivered over 80,000 sermons and I thought I talked a lot); had an angelic voice…Like One Direction (I miss you Zayn 
3. Both focused on individual experience with God and were itinerant preachers
4. Both considered “new light” ministers (preach with emotion)