Major Leaders of the Second Great Awakening

Charles Grandison Finney was one of the most influential preachers during the Great Awakening because of his "high drama" speaking style. The African Methodist Episcopal Church was founded by Richard Allen. These churches grew very rapidly because they preached the ideas of faith and abolishing slavery. Also, a New England writer, named Ralph Waldo Emerson led a group that practiced Transcendentalism. These ideas sparked a movement that stressed optimism, freedom, and self reliance.