RELIGIONCHARACTERISTICS AND IMPACTS FROM 1800 TO 1850

Michal Bleyer and Lucas Coelho

1800 to ~1850 Overview

The Second Great Awakening was the defining religious happening of this time period.

It deeply affected American Society by changing the beliefs of thousands if not millions of people and by propagating the creation of many new church denominations which deeply affected American society.

Many of the different denominations present in this time period grew to prominence between 1800 and 1850 though some of the typically more affluent denominations were unaffected.

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The Second Great Awakening With the reformation of American politics and

restructuring of the economy also came a religious change.1

Religious reformers wanted to improve the ordinary Americans’ religious commitment and theology. They pushed against the reliance on reason that was permeating U.S. society in such forms as Thomas Paine’s book “The Age of Reason”. 1

This caused a slew of religious activities which converted millions of Americans starting in the southern frontier. 1

This became known as the Second Great Awakening and by its end, three-fourths of Americans attended Church. 1

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Evangelists

During the Second Great Awakening several evangelists converted millions of people. 1

They would set up camp meetings where thousands would gather to here the evangelist preach. 1

Peter Cartwright was the most famous Methodist “circuit rider” which was a traveling frontier preacher. 1

The best know evangelist from this time was Charles Finney, who is said to have converted a half-million people. 1

Furthermore, women, specifically form the middle class, played a much larger part in this religious revival in that they were the first and most fervent converts. 1

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Charles Finney

Peter Cartwright

Camp Meeting

Pictures

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Theology

The Second Great Awakening propagated new religious ideologies that had not typically been stressed in the past. 1

It pushed against the stern Calvinistic style and the rational emphases propagated by the French Revolution. 1

Salvation through faith and not works was one of the most important aspects of the 2nd G.A. Works had previously been considered the way to salvation. 1

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Effects

The Second Great Awakening was marked by very emotional sermons where people would flood the alter after sermons. Methodists and Baptists achieved the most amount of converts. Most of these were among the common people. 1

All this commotion left many new converts, countless broken and reorganized churches, and several new Christian Sects. 1

This also influenced such causes such as the temperance, Women’s, and anti-slavery movements. 1

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Results of the Second Great Awakening This new religious revival fragmented

traditional faiths and spurred the creation of new faiths. 1

In Western New York, the ministers had preached so much “fire and brimstone” sermons that it became known as the “Burned-Over District.” 1

Religion was strengthened and there was a renewed interest in pre-existing and new faiths. 1

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Religious Growth

The Millerities or Adventists, a new religion, were a group of people named after William Miller who believed Jesus would return on October 22, 1884.2

The Methodist, Baptist, and other denominational faiths grew in the southern and western portions of the country.1

Evangelism was increasingly popular and many ministers traveled around the continent to convert the non-believers and bring them into their denomination.2

William MillerMB

Widening Gaps

Anglican, Presbyterian, Unitarian, and other major northern faiths came mostly out of more wealthy areas of the country.1

Baptists and Methodists however came out of the less intelligent sections of the Union which caused conflict between the North, South, and West.1

Denominations split even further when the issue of slavery was brought up and fragmented various denominations even further. 1

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Mormons

Mormonism, also known as the Church of Latter-Day Saints, is the largest new Christian sect that arose out of the Second Great Awakening.1

It began when Joseph Smith claimed to have received golden plates from an angel which were later translated into the Book of Mormon.1

Smith was latter murdered for his beliefs and leadership of the Mormons fell to Brigham Young.1

Other Christians were increasingly hostile towards the Mormons so Young took them west to Utah to escape persecution.1

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More Mormons

Many new settlers followed Young into Utah.1

The Mormons overcame many difficulties to build a blossoming community. Their numbers were bolstered by the many immigrants coming in from their European missionary projects. 1

There polygamy practices however delayed Utah‘s entrance into statehood for a period of time, because of the anti-polygamy laws passed by congress in 1882 and 1896.1 Brigham

Young

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Sources

1. David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Bailey, The American Pageant (Boston M.A. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006), 320-324

2. Second Great Awakening 5 April 2008, <www.america.gov> (30 October 2011)

Pictures From: www.iwu.edu www.spurgeon.org http://arcweb.sos.state.or.us