The Second Great Awakening

The Second Great awakening swept the United States just after 1790. In this movement, preachers rejected the 18th century belief that God predetermined ones salvation or damnation. They emphasized individual responsibility for seeking salvation and they insisted that people could improve themselves in society. Religious ideas in the early 19th century promoted individualism and responsibility. Christian churches split over these ideas, as various denominations competed to proclaim the message of a democratic God. The forums for their messages were large gatherings, some preachers could draw an audience of 20,000 people to outdoor camps. These gatherings were called Revivals, emotional meetings aimed to awaken religious faith through impassioned preaching and prayer. A revival would last 4-5 days. The Second Great Awakening also brought change on a large scale to enslaved African Americans. There was a strong democratic impulse in these churches and preached that all people blacks and whites belonged to the same God. Membership grew rapidly in the African Methodist Episcopal Church. It became a political, cultural and social center for African Americans, providing schools and other services that whites denied them.

The Second Great Awakening