The Second Great Awakening was a renewal of religious sentiment that inspired a variety of reform movements.
Preachers traveled the countryside going from town to town to spread the new view on God and faith. Gatherings in each town, called revivals, were meetings designed to spark religious faith through powerful preachingand prayer. A revival might last 4 to 5 days. They talked about individual responsibility for seeking salvation, and they told people they could improve themselves and society.

The Great Awakening

Both blacks and women began to participate in evangelical revivals associated with the Second Great Awakening.