2.3 The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment

The Great Awakening and Enlightenment shook up colonial America. Religious revival and new ideas about rights and reason spread like wildfire, changing how people thought about God, government, and themselves.

These movements laid the groundwork for American identity and values. They sparked a sense of shared purpose among colonists and planted the seeds for revolution, shaping the nation's future in profound ways.

The Great Awakening's Impact on Colonial Religion

Causes of the Great Awakening

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• Reaction against the rationalism and secularism of the Enlightenment led to a desire for more emotionally satisfying religious experiences
• Influence of evangelical preachers (Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield) emphasized personal piety, emotional experience, and the need for spiritual rebirth

Effects on Colonial Religious Life

• Growth of evangelical denominations (Baptists and Methodists) emphasized personal conversion and a more democratic approach to church governance
• Erosion of traditional religious authority as individuals were encouraged to rely on their own spiritual experiences and interpretations of scripture
• Fostered a sense of shared religious identity among colonists from different regions and social classes, helping to lay the groundwork for a distinct American identity

Enlightenment Ideas in Colonial Thought

Influence on Political Thought

• Enlightenment thinkers (John Locke) advocated for natural rights (life, liberty, and property), influencing the development of American political thought and the push for independence from Great Britain
• The concept of the "social contract" challenged the divine right of kings and suggested that governments derived their legitimacy from the consent of the governed, a key idea in the American Revolution

Impact on Intellectual Life

• Enlightenment ideas about religious tolerance and the separation of church and state informed the development of American religious liberty and the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution
• Colonial intellectuals (Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson) were heavily influenced by Enlightenment thought, shaping their contributions to American science, politics, and culture

Key Figures of the Great Awakening and Enlightenment

Great Awakening Leaders

• Jonathan Edwards, a Puritan minister and theologian, was a central figure known for his powerful sermons ("Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God") that emphasized the need for personal salvation and the dangers of divine judgment
• George Whitefield, an English evangelist, played a major role in spreading the Great Awakening throughout the colonies, using his charismatic preaching style to attract large crowds and inspire religious fervor

Enlightenment Thinkers

• Benjamin Franklin, a prominent Enlightenment thinker and statesman, exemplified the Enlightenment spirit through his scientific experiments, practical inventions, and political activism, including his role in drafting the Declaration of Independence
• Thomas Jefferson, another key Enlightenment figure and Founding Father, was heavily influenced by Enlightenment ideas about natural rights, religious freedom, and the role of government, shaping his contributions to the American Revolution and the early republic

Colonial Unity and Identity: Awakening vs Enlightenment

Shared Identity and Values

• The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment contributed to a growing sense of shared identity among the American colonies, despite regional and cultural differences
• The Great Awakening's emphasis on personal religious experience and the equality of believers helped to break down social and religious hierarchies, fostering a more egalitarian spirit in the colonies
• Enlightenment ideas about natural rights, self-government, and the social contract provided a common intellectual framework for the colonies, laying the groundwork for the American Revolution and the formation of a new nation

Lasting Impact on American Culture

• The intersection of the Great Awakening and the Enlightenment in colonial America created a unique blend of religious fervor and rational inquiry, shaping the distinctive character of American culture and politics
• The legacy of these movements can be seen in the enduring American values of individualism, religious freedom, and democratic self-government, which continue to define American identity to this day