The Great Awakening: Sparking the American Revolution

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.

The literature coming out of the Great Awakening was a uniting tool for the American people in their struggle against the British.

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

identity.
The concept of religious justification for fighting that would be precipitated by the pastors of the time affected the attitudes of the colonists approaching the war . Many pastors during The Great Awakening advocated the idea of righteous rebellion. Colonists started to see many parallels between the situation with America and England and Bible stories. More religious attribution was given to the struggle because of this idea (“Religion”). Jonathan Mayhew was a proponent of the idea of that “resistance to a tyrant was a “glorious” Christian duty” (“Religion”). The idea of Christian rebellion was starting to formulate in the minds of colonists and preachers alike. This idea would also be significant for the American Revolution. If the colonists felt they had a righteous reason to fight who they viewed as the oppressor, there would be no better persuasive tool. Jonathan Mayhew’s advocating the righteous cause of fighting in the American Revolution would turn out to be one of the most influential sermons in American History. He gave a resolution which would be advantageous to both the congregation’s conscience and the American Revolution (“Religion”). After the American Revolution was fought, clergymen still held on to the idea that God had approved the war with Britain. Some preachers such as Abraham Ketaltas felt the war was simply "the cause of truth, against error and falsehood” (“Religion”). With American identity heavily embraced at this time people started to see America as a nation set apart. The idea of American exceptionalism can be seen in sermons from this time period. Abraham Keteltas said in a sermon after the war that America is “as a chosen generation, a royal Priesthood, an holy nation…”. This attitude that America is set apart is a result of The Great Awakening. The general theme of liberation is constantly being perpetuated after the Great Awakening. The sermons given before and after the revolution heavily influenced the views of people in this time period. The sermons being teached during this time period gave people a feeling of exceptionalism and liberation that would branch over into The American Revolution.
The ideas of liberation, righteous rebellion, and America as a nation set apart had a compelling effect on the mindsets of the colonists. With the literature perpetuated and the moving sermons supporting rebellion, it is interesting to see how a spiritual movement so heavily affected the breaking apart two nations. Interestingly the Great Awakening came at a perfect time to influence the Revolutionary War. Thus the course of history changed. Not only did the Great Awakening affect the outcome of the American Revolution, but also solidified the Judeo- Christian values on which America was founded.