American Enlightenment & the Great Awakening

9/9/2019

Explain how & why the movement of a variety of people & ideas across the Atlantic contributed to the development of American culture over time. (Topic 2.7)

Enlightenment: Defining the Period  4 Fundamental Principles 1. Lawlike order of the natural world 2. Power of human reason 3. Natural rights of individuals 4. Progressive improvement of society • Natural laws applied to social, political and economic relationships • Could figure out natural laws if they employed reasoning: rationalism

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Most Influential • John Locke • Two Treatises of Government: gov’t is bound to follow “natural laws” based on the rights of that people have as humans; sovereignty resides with the people; people have the right to overthrown a government that fails to protect their rights. • Jean-Jacques Rousseau • The Social Contract: Argued that a government should be formed by the consent of the people, who then make their own laws. • Montesquieu • The Spirit of Laws: 3 types of political power – legislative, judicial & executive which each power separated into different branches to protect people’s liberties.

Rationale for the American Revolution and the principles of the U.S. Constitution

American Enlightenment

 Start Date/Event  1636: Roger Williams est. R.I.  Separation of church & state  Freedom of religion  Rejects the divine right of kings & supports popular sovereignty

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Benjamin Franklin  1732: popularizes the Enlightenment with publication of his almanac  Formed clubs for “mutual improvement”  Founded the American Philosophical Society (1743 to present)  Inspired other printers in colonies  Increase of non-religious periodicals

Great Awakening 1730s-1740s

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Background/Causes • Began in England with John Wesley and George Whitefield • Response to the rise in secularism and Deism • Relied on natural reason and moral sense to define right/wrong • Believed a Supreme Being created the world/allowed it to operate by natural laws • Countered Enlightenment’s rationalism

Participants

• Many church dominations like Baptists, Methodists, Presbyterians in forefront of embracing these new ideas • Won many converts costing other denominations members • Lower classes: laborers, servants & small farmers • Many women converts and free/enslaved blacks

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Main Ideas • Stressed a personal relationship with God • Predestination: salvation by faith or grace not by good works • Stressed universality of sin • Emotional repentance of sins and reaffirmation faith • Choose Christ or Hell • Literal interpretation of the Bible

Major Leaders • George Whitefield • Brought the ideas to America which spread throughout all the colonies • Ordinary people with faith & sincerity could understand the gospel without need for ministers • Emotional appeal drew 1000s to outdoor sermons • Jonathan Edwards • Massachusetts minister to argued in powerful terrifying sermons a person had to repent and convert • God was rightfully angry with human sinfulness • Most impact on New England

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Impact • Undermining old perceptions • Challenge authority of all ministers & rights of women to speak • Growing sense of authority among the MANY vs. the “elect” • Undermining allegiance to traditional authority leading to “democratization” of colonies; came to expression in the 1770s • Challenged the status quo • Calls for division between church & state • Treatment of slaves was challenged, but not the institution itself • Divisions within congregations • OLD vs. NEW Lights of Congregational and Presbyterian churches • Baptists/Methodists • Baptists welcome slaves threatening the authority of tidewater aristocrats and social distinctions

• Increase in # separate churches • Increase in sense of “Americans” • A single people united by a common history and shared experience • Increased inter-colonial communication and cooperation • Creation of new colleges 1746-1769 • Princeton • Harvard • Brown • Rutgers • Dartmouth

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Practicing Historical Thinking Skills

George Whitefield: Marks of a True Conversion (1739) 1) What topics does Whitefield encourage his listeners to discuss with God? 2) How might a discussion with God in this manner influence a worshipper’s understanding of her place in the universe?

Jonathan Edwards’ Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God (1741) 1) What is Edwards’ primary argument in this sermon? To whom is the sermon directed? 2) To what extent does the image of John Winthrop (Doc 3.10) communicate values that are similar to those expressed in Edwards’ sermon? Explain 3) Compare Edwards’ understanding of God to Whitefield’s in Doc. 3.12. What are key similarities between the 2? What are key differences?