Consequences of the Great Awakening

I Revivalism in Northampton- Jonathan Edwards, A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Works of God (1737)

II George Whitefield in Georgia- A New Kind of Preaching

III The Second and Third Tours to America1) The Enlightened Reaction of Franklin2) The Pious Reaction

IV Unintended Consequences1) The Awakening and Authority2) Implications for Revolution

Terms:

Jonathan EdwardsGeorge WhitefieldGreat AwakeningNew LightsDenominationalism

Themes:

1) The most important unintended consequences of the religious revival of the 1740s known as “The Great Awakening” were social.

2) The Awakening’s attack on authority was a precursor to the Revolution.

Revivalism in Northampton- Jonathan Edwards and A

Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Works of God (1737)

Jonathan Edwards, 1703-1758

A Faithful Narrative of the Surprising Works of God (1737)

George Whitefield in Georgia- A New Kind of Preaching

Savannah, 1734

George Whitefield preaching, about 1740

Whitefield later in life

Open-air Methodist preaching in Britain.

The Second and Third Tours to America

1) The Enlightened Reaction of Franklin

Whitefield preaching in the open air.

Philadelphia, 1683

He had a loud and clear voice, and articulated his words and sentences so perfectly, that he might be heard and understood at a great distance, especially as his auditories, however numerous, observ'd the most exact silence. He preach'd one evening from the top of the Court-house steps, which are in the middle of Market-street, and on the west side of Second-street, which crosses it at right angles. Both streets were fill'd with his hearers to a considerable distance. Being among the hindmost in Market-street, I had the curiosity to learn how far he could be heard, by retiring backwards down the street towards the river; and I found his voice distinct till I came near Front-street, when some noise in that street obscur'd it. Imagining then a semi-circle, of which my distance should be the radius, and that it were fill'd with auditors, to each of whom I allow'd two square feet, I computed that he might well be heard by more than thirty thousand.

- Benjamin Franklin on George Whitefield

Clarkson-Biddle, "Plan of the City of Philadelphia," May 30, 1762

The Second and Third Tours to America

2) The Pious Reaction

Unintended Consequences

1) The Awakening and Authority

The Green, New Haven, Connecticut

Center Church and New Haven were founded in 1638 by the Rev. John Davenport and Theophilus Eaton, who came from Boston with a group of Puritans in order to settle here.

This building is the fourth church of this society built on the Green since 1638. This structure was designed and built by Ithiel Towne in 1812-1814.

Center Church, New Haven, CT (founded 1639, 4th sanctuary built 1812-1814). For more than 100 years, Center Church was the only church in New Haven.

United Church, New Haven, CT, 1812-15

Milford, Connecticut’s Old Light and New Light Churches

First united Church of Christ,

Milford CT, (Founded 1639,

Split 1741, Reunited 1926)

Conclusion: Implications for Revolution

Philadelphia, 1683