Learn about the Second Great Awakening. Discover what led to the Second Great Awakening, its major figures, and its lasting influence on American society.
Updated: 11/21/2023
The Second Great Awakening | Overview, Beliefs & Significance
Table of Contents
- What Was the Second Great Awakening?
- What Led to The Second Great Awakening?
- Key Factors of the Second Great Awakening
- Significance of the Second Great Awakening
- Lesson Summary
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Second Great Awakening known for?
The Second Great Awakening is known for spreading the idea of universal salvation and religious free will. Socially, it set the stage for major social change by introducing ideas of abolition, feminism, and temperance.
How was the Second Great Awakening different from the first?
The Second Great Awakening is generally seen as a continuation of the first, but there are some major differences. Mainly, the First Great Awakening focused on the spread of Protestant religion itself, while the Second Great Awakening focused on universal salvation rather than predestination and personal responsibility. The Second Great Awakening was also more politically minded.
Table of Contents
- What Was the Second Great Awakening?
- What Led to The Second Great Awakening?
- Key Factors of the Second Great Awakening
- Significance of the Second Great Awakening
- Lesson Summary
In the early 19th century, America was going through an intense period of socio-political change and reform. Regardless of one's religion, race, or political leaning, it was a time of uncertainty and fear. America was still a young country, having gained independence from Britain in 1776, and the pressure of creating an entirely new government weighed on the politicians and the people alike. As an added stressor, tensions between slave-owners and abolitionists had begun to mount. Americans needed something to turn to and take their attention away from the confusing world around them. This created the perfect atmosphere for another Great Awakening.
The Second Great Awakening was a religious revival that swept through America during the early 19th century. A revival means a renewed religious fervor among Christians, religious groups, or communities. The Second Great Awakening was named after its predecessor, the First Great Awakening, which was a similar wave that took place in the 1730s. Those leading this revival were predominantly Christian Protestants, such as Methodists, Adventists, Presbyterians, and Baptists. The revival mainly took place in what is today the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, but evidence shows that it changed religion in all parts of the country. Following the Second Great Awakening, a period of Antebellum reform and religious fire took place like America had never seen before.
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The early 1800s was a time of immense change for Americans. America had only won its independence a few years prior, in 1776, and was settling into independence. Americans had begun to move away from the Anglican church, as they wanted a religion that would reflect their American values. Arguments were emerging among politicians about states' rights versus federal rights, and tensions among abolitionists and slaveholders were rising. Alcohol consumption was on its way up, church attendance had fallen dramatically, and social changes had brought about "sinful" lifestyles, though this era's definition of sinful differs drastically from the modern definition. Most religious leaders had become worried for the souls of the general population as the zeal from the First Great Awakening had all but disappeared.
The First Great Awakening, which took place 30 years before the Second Great Awakening, had primarily focused on the spread of Protestant religion, as America was primarily Catholic at the time. The first major revival worked to spread the ideas of a personal relationship with the Christian god and to make religion seem less impersonal. However, the Second Great Awakening was more focused on personal rights and education as they relate to religion and God. The Second Great Awakening also worked towards rejecting ideas of predestination, as religious leaders took the unprecedented step of preaching salvation to anyone, including slaves.
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As previously mentioned, the Second Great Awakening was a time when Protestant religious fervor swept the U.S. in the early 19th century, and it was mainly marked by its emphasis on social change and salvation for all. It mainly affected the states of Tennessee and Kentucky, but western New York became known as the "burned-over district" as religious fire reached an all-time high during this time. During the Second Great Awakening, established Protestant churches such as the Methodist or Baptist sects also experienced significant growth. For more information on key historical figures of the era, refer to the chart below.
| Historical Figure | Significance |
|---|---|
| Charles Finney (1792-1875) | Charles Finney was a Presbyterian minister and revivalist from New York. He is famed for his surprisingly liberal beliefs, his fiery speeches, and leading the revival through the "burned-over district". During his religious meetings, often referred to as camp meetings, he would break the mold by mixing the sexes, allowing women to pray out loud, and preaching abolition and suffrage. His beliefs shaped the overall themes of the Second Great Awakening. |
| Lyman Beecher (1775-1863) | Lyman Beecher was also a Presbyterian minister, as well as the father of famed author Harriet Beecher Stowe. He was known for starting the temperance movement. Before the temperance movement, heavy drinking permeated all aspects of American life, including church services. Beecher took a stand against this by spreading the idea of sobriety and publishing six famous sermons on the topic. |
| Antoinette Brown Blackwell (1825-1921) | Blackwell was famed for being the first female ordained preacher in the US. She is an example of the advances women were able to push for during the Second Great Awakening. |
Beliefs of the Second Great Awakening
The beliefs of the Second Great Awakening inspired some of the most influential changes in American society and religion in modern history. There was a move away from Calvinism, which is an authoritarian branch of Protestantism, and towards Arminianism, or the belief that free will and God can co-exist. The idea of salvation for all, rather than predestination, also became widespread, creating a sense of unity and emphasizing a personal relationship with God. Ministers such as Charles Finney also preached the importance of good works, leading to a surge of volunteerism and the creation of several major non-profit organizations. In terms of social change, ideas of women's rights and abolition became more popular. Though they may have only applied to religious power structures initially, they set the stage for later social advancements.
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The Second Great Awakening changed American society and religion forever. Particularly in the northern states, beliefs of abolition, temperance, and women's rights were at the forefront of many conversations, while religious worship exhibited a sense of unity and passion never seen before in American society. The movement also inspired much socio-political and religious change in America, both in its time and in the future. In the short term, it gave people a source to look to for guidance and helped boost volunteerism. In the long term, the Second Great Awakening popularized the idea of salvation for all, which created unity among all peoples. This time period also set the stage for major social movements, such as prohibition, suffrage, and even abolition. It is notably credited with spreading support for abolition across the northern states, which eventually led to the Civil War.
How Did the Second Great Awakening Influence Religion?
The Second Great Awakening influenced religion most by challenging the dominant ideas of predestination and Calvinism. Ministers spread the idea of universal salvation, which effectively made all men equal in the eyes of God, a sentiment that had not existed previously. They also touted the importance of a personal, intentional relationship with God, as well as the value of good works. This led to the founding of numerous non-profits, some of which still exist today. After the Second Great Awakening, church membership soared and America saw the creation of several new denominations, including the Latter-Day Saints, Seventh-Day Adventists, Shakers, and Transcendentalists.
How Did the Second Great Awakening Influence American Society?
The Second Great Awakening promoted many ideas of unity and equality to an extent that had never been seen before. Revivalist leaders, such as Finney and Beecher, spread early ideas of feminism and abolition, which laid the foundation for many of the civil rights we enjoy today. In fact, the Second Great Awakening is where the spread of abolitionism in the north began. Since the idea of volunteerism also reached an all-time high, charities and public schools began opening at record rates. Camp meetings, or revival services, also spread ideas of community and unity, creating a comforting sense of togetherness among the people.
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The Second Great Awakening was a religious revival movement in the early 1800s that took place primarily in Tennessee, Kentucky, and western New York. It came at a time of great socio-political change and challenged the dominant religious and political ideas of the era. Religion moved away from Calvinism and towards ideas of universal salvation and free will, and leaders such as Charles Finney and Lyman Beecher spread ideas of temperance, feminism, and abolition, setting the stage for later social change. There was also an emphasis on "good works," popularizing charity work and leading to an influx of non-profit organizations. Socially and religiously, America was never the same afterwards.
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Video Transcript
The Second Great Awakening
The American Revolution left more than just a legacy of government. Not long after the war had overthrown the King and the social fabric of Europe, Americans turned their rebellious spirit to the church. If you're an American, the statistical odds are that you share the spiritual values the Revolutionaries fostered, even if you don't belong to one of their religions.
In the 1730s, the First Great Awakening had reshaped the traditional European churches into something Americans were more comfortable with. By the time of the Revolution, the largest denominations were the Quakers, the Congregationalists (descended from the Puritan tradition), and the Anglicans. But after the war, they wanted something that reflected their own values, something more American. First of all, it hardly seemed appropriate to support the Anglican Church anymore. So Americans kicked off their religious revolution by changing the name from 'Anglican' to 'Episcopal.' They selected their own bishops and leadership, and, of course, eliminated the king as the head of the church. The state of Virginia, which had previously supported the Anglican Church as a colony, led the way in separating church from government altogether. But it was more than that. The earlier denominations followed a Calvinist theology called predestination. Basically, God already knew from the beginning of time who would be saved from hell and who wouldn't. A person couldn't possibly change God's mind, so a Christian's job was to prove to himself and others that he was one of the chosen. This was especially true in the Protestant Northeast. But that theology didn't line up with the Revolutionary sense of national and personal achievement. It was time for a new religious revival, a Second Great Awakening.
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Would you expect a revolutionary who believed that God had just helped him defeat the King of England to agree with a church that said he had no hope of making it to heaven? Post-war Americans embraced the Arminian theology of free will that gave them a little more input into their eternal resting place. Rather than being predestined to heaven or hell, this doctrine says humans are responsible for accepting or rejecting God's salvation. What's more, we have a moral obligation to do more than just prove we have a spot in heaven; we need to improve the world around us. Churches that taught this theology, like the Baptists and Methodists, overtook the old churches. Today they are still the biggest Protestant denominations in America.
The Second Great Awakening also spawned new religious groups, like the Shakers, the Latter-Day Saints (commonly called Mormons), and Seventh-Day Adventists. Some non-traditional groups emerged, such as the Transcendentalists, who sought spirituality apart from religion, and the Communal Oneida Society. Though the religious fervor of the Awakening cooled around the time of the Civil War, its influence has been permanent.
Spreading the Word
The Second Great Awakening was very democratic - anyone could be saved, personal study of the Bible was as good as or better than being taught by someone with formal training, regular people could be called by God to become preachers, and God expected everyone (not just a special few) to do His work on Earth. Traveling preachers were called 'Revivalists,' and they applied the secular ideals of the Revolution - hard work and personal virtue - in a religious way. One of the most influential revivalists of the Second Great Awakening was Charles Finney. He urged people to choose God, immediately turn away from their sin as soon as it's pointed out, and then work to make the world around them a little better. When they did this, they were, as the Bible said, 'born again' to do good works. Such concepts are still central to the evangelical denominations, and they resonated strongly with Americans in the post-Revolutionary era.
In the same way that they had wanted to do something about Enlightenment philosophy, Americans in the Second Great Awakening wanted to do something about their theology. It isn't enough to just 'be' good; you need to 'do' good. Don't just change your heart; change your world! Does this sound familiar to you? These values are still characteristic of a lot of religious groups and even non-religious activists in America today.
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Some of these efforts were directly related to religion. Have you ever found a Bible in a hotel room? The International Bible Society started doing that in 1823. Have you ever been handed a tract with an explanation of Christianity? You can credit the Awakening for that practice, too. Revivalists also emphasized evangelism and missionary work to bring Christianity to any place that needed it. The movement was especially influential on the western frontier of New York, which was called the 'Burned-Over District' after the fire of religious revival burned so intently there. The Second Great Awakening was also important in Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee, where established churches were few and far between.
As a result of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, the United States' boundary now extended all the way to the Mississippi River, and by 1850, the population grew from just under four million people to more than 23 million. Revivalists held huge outdoor camp meetings in these rural areas. Sometimes, more than one preacher at a time would be speaking in different corners, turning church into a marketplace where people chose their favorite brand. As many as 20,000 people from all around the region came to enjoy the music and the teaching. The inspirational and emotional messages led some people to believe that they were literally filled with the spirit of God at these meetings, just like men in the Bible had experienced.
Transforming Christian Values into American Values
But the Second Great Awakening also deserves credit for important social reform when American Christians turned their hearts toward the problems in the world around them. Charles Finney was a devoted abolitionist and encouraged Christians to see slavery as a moral issue rather than a political or economic one. It took half a century, but they successfully worked to end slavery in America. A revivalist named Lyman Beecher led people to voluntarily stop drinking alcohol since it could easily lead to sin, and he founded the temperance movement to ban the sale of alcohol legally.
Other revived Christians felt led to improve conditions in cities, prisons, and asylums. These reforms were often aimed at helping disadvantaged people to focus on their own spiritual condition, rather than just their living conditions. If you learned to read in a public school, you can thank the Second Great Awakening for that too. Reformers believed that public education would create a more productive, hard-working population and give more people the ability to study the Bible. This charitable work drew women into the world of politics, and it wasn't long before they began advocating for their own right to vote.
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These values are still important to Americans today, who send out more missionaries than any other nation and donate more time and money to charitable works around the world than any other place on Earth. And while the Second Great Awakening did increase church attendance, its most enduring legacy may have been an intertwining of Christian values with civic values. Morality came to the forefront of daily life, but individuals might be led to interpret this in different ways, engendering a new value of personal responsibility that has become an important character trait in the American psyche. Today's issues might be different, but it was the Second Great Awakening that led Americans to look at the culture around them, identify the problems that are most important to them, and then do something about it.
Lesson Summary
After the Revolution, Americans turned their rebellious spirit toward religion. The Anglican Church was reformed into the Episcopal Church, and the Second Great Awakening was launched. The revolutionary spirit of self-reliance led Americans to shun the earlier denominations that believed in predestination in favor of the Baptist and Methodist teachings of human free will and responsibility. The Mormon and Adventist churches were also founded, along with less traditional spiritual movements. Revivalist preachers spoke to thousands of people at camp meetings on the expanding frontier. One of the most influential was Charles Finney. He taught that people needed to turn from sin and be born again to good works, especially abolition. Lyman Beecher encouraged the temperance movement. Together, the revivalists helped inspire a nation of evangelists, missionaries, and social activists that shifted public policy and helped turn religious values into American values.
Lesson Objectives
After watching this lesson, you should be able to:
- Explain the issues Americans took with traditional religious beliefs that led to the Second Great Awakening
- Identify Charles Finney and Lyman Beecher, and describe their role in the Second Great Awakening
- Understand the lasting effects the Second Great Awakening had on religious and social values in the United States
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The Second Great Awakening | Overview, Beliefs & Significance
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