The Great Awakening: Sparking the American Revolution

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Recommended: Religion in Colonial America

Many ideals coming out of the Great Awakening had a significant amount of influence on the political literature and rhetoric of the American Revolution. The Great Awakening was started as a resistance to the growing formality of churches in America (The Great Awakening.”). The Great Awakening is commonly known for the “emotional enthusiasm of its participants” when referring to the mass crowds and people fainting frequently from overwhelming emotions (“Lesson 1”). More importantly, the Great Awakening gave American people an identity and a unity the country never before had (“The Great Awakening.”). The Great Awakening encouraged a negative attitude against the British Crown while also creating a moral and religious framework justifying resistance. …show more content…

Although some churches had splits after the Great Awakening, most had the same idea of resistance against the British. Many of these men were united in their opposition to the Church and Government of England. Some men’s feelings may have been for religious conviction; others’ reasoning may have been avoiding more taxes (Galloway). Through this common opposition there was a unity “of the congregational and presbyterian [interest] throughout the colonies” (Galloway). This shared resistance meant two denominations of significant membership were now united against the British. Unification would turn out to be extremely significant approaching the Revolutionary War. If religious groups could be united headed into a war that largely opposed the English Church, American churches could “[turn] colonial resistance into a righteous case” (“Religion”). Throughout all of the colonies other resistances were occuring. In Maryland, the Maryland Convention voted for the revision of The Book of Common Prayer (“Religion”). They wanted all parts revised having to do with “prayer and petition for the King’s majesty” (Religion and the American Revolution). Revision of The Book of Common Prayer would not have been a severely rash action on the Americans part. However with the revision, the general trend of moving away from the mother country can be seen. The Great Awakening had a significant impact on the outlook of the American people before and during the American Revolution. The literature coming out of The Great Awakening had a theme of liberation people were seeking with their new found American

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