Heimler's History: The Second Great Awakening

Introduction

• Focus on Unit 4 of AP U.S. History (1800-1848).
• Topic: The Second Great Awakening.
• Main Question: What were the causes?

Definition of the Second Great Awakening

• Series of religious revivals among Protestant Christians.
• Emphasized:
  • Righteous living.
  • Personal restraint.
  • Moral rectitude for individual and societal salvation.
• Spread by Methodists and Baptists through camp meetings.

Causes of the Second Great Awakening

1. Influence of the Market Revolution

• Economic success seen as individual responsibility.
• Parallels in spiritual terms:
  • Personal responsibility for salvation.
  • Reform life for salvation and eternal bliss.
• Contrast with First Great Awakening:
  • Calvinist belief in predestination vs. individual effort.

2. Democratic and Individualistic Beliefs

• Growing desire for broader democratic participation.
• Movement largely involved lower classes:
  • Egalitarian camp meetings.
  • Inclusivity: whites, blacks, enslaved, free, men, women.

3. Rejection of Rationalism in Favor of Romanticism

• Romanticism emphasized emotional over rational reality.
• Illustrates shift in preaching style:
  • Jonathan Edwards: Structured, philosophical preaching.
  • Charles Grandison Finney:
    • Pioneered emotional, audience-centered preaching.
    • Used plain language, relatable metaphors.
    • Focus on moral reformation of society.

Impact and Influence

• Led to other reform movements, e.g., temperance.
• Catalyzed religious movements like Mormonism.

Conclusion

• Overview of the causes and characteristics of the Second Great Awakening.
• Upcoming topics include impacts on society and other reform movements.