First Great Awakening Themes

Introduction

Throughout history there have been countless significant events that have provoked immense change in the world. These events, dating back to as early as 8000 B.C., have caused massive effects and became turning points in the world we live in today. All through history many occurences share underlying themes, some of which will be expressed in this essay. Equality is amongst the many themes that are shared and repeated throughout history. The First Great Awakening was an evangelical and revitalization movement that swept Protestant Europe and British America, and especially the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, leaving a permanent impact on American Protestantism. The First Great Awakening changed the way many people thought

and even lived. It de-emphasized the importance of church doctrine and instead put a greater importance on the individual and their spiritual experience. This inevitably led to the unification of the American colonies as it spread through numerous preachers and revivals. This unification was greater than had ever been achieved previously in the colonies. This evangelical movement also contributed to create a demand for religious freedom. The Great Awakening also represented the first time African Americans embraced Christianity in large numbers. Judicial review is the doctrine under which legislative and executive actions are subject to review by the judiciary.

A court with judicial review power may invalidate laws and decisions that are incompatible with a higher authority, such as the terms of a written constitution. Judicial review is one of the checks and balances in the separation of powers: the power of the judiciary to supervise the legislative and executive branches when the latter exceed their authority. Judicial review was established in the classic case of Marbury v. Madison. under Judicial Review the Court also established its authority to strike down state laws found to be in violation of the Constitution. It plays an essential role in ensuring that each branch of government recognizes the limits of its own power. Judicial Review protects civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution and it sets appropriate limits on democratic government by ensuring that popular majorities cannot pass laws that harm and/or take undue advantage of unpopular minorities. The establishment of the 14th and 15th Amendments also referred to as the “Reconstruction Amendments” extended new constitutional protections to African Americans, though the struggle to fully achieve equality would continue into the twentieth century.The Fourteenth Amendment created the privileges and immunities clause, applicable to all citizens; and made the due process and equal protection clauses applicable to all persons.The Fifteenth Amendment, prohibits discrimination in voting rights of citizens on the basis of "race,

color, or previous condition of servitude." These amendments were designed to ensure the equality for recently emancipated slaves. The First Great Awakening, Judicial Review, and the establishment of the 14th and 15th Amendments all adhere to the theme of equality; proven with examples such as the unification of people of different races in the American colonies by embracing Christianity in large numbers, protecting civil rights and liberties by striking down laws that violate the Constitution, and ensuring the equality for recently emancipated slaves.
The First Great Awakening:
In the 1730’s a religious revival swept through the colonies. As the colonies grew more tremendous conflicts developed between the idealism which had motivated many immigrants to settle in the New World and the natural human desire to acquire wealth. A man named Jonathan Edwards, did not want to convert to the Church of England and became concerned that possessions and lust were overtaking Gods place in society. Edwards strongly believed in Calvin’s nine principles and he felt that wealth was becoming more important than them. When Edwards spoke, he spoke with anger and conviction because he had become furious with society. This made people come from all around to hear his sermons and as he continued to preach, more and more came to hear. These were the first steps taken of the Great Awakening.
The Great Awakening swept New England, as religious energy vibrated in the 1730s and 1740s. In America, the Great Awakening signaled the arrival of an encompassing belief that the essence of religious experience was the "awakening," inspired by the preaching of the Word. This belief invigorated many churches. The supporters of the Awakening, Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists, became the largest American Protestant denominations by the first decades of the nineteenth century.
The effects of the Great Awakening were rather large, one of the more significant effects was how it prepared the colonists. It prepared them for the war they were about to embark on for independence. When the church did not live up to the congregation’s expectations, the people could make a new church and start having service there. The Great Awakening gave the people the knowledge of independence, it also made them feel like their opinion mattered and began spreading ideas of individuality. Colonists realized that the Church of England did not have the power, because it was in their own hands. After realizing that the church could not control them, they began to believe that the English monarch could not control them either. Even though the people did not share the same religious views, they all wanted to be free from British control.
The Great Awakening led to more religious diversity and tolerance as well as greater egalitarianism because it created a demand for religious freedom. The Great Awakening represented the first time African Americans embraced Christianity in large numbers. This movement is significant because it fundamentally led to the unification of the American colonies and was a key cause to the American Revolution. The Great Awakening also spread ideas of equality because it led to religious diversity and tolerance towards other races and minorities in the church.
Judicial Review
In 1800 the Federalists and their candidate, President John Adams, lost the election to Thomas Jefferson. Early in 1801 the Federalist Congress enacted a controversial Judiciary Act that created 58 new judgeships, including 42 justices of the peace, for Adams to appoint. Jefferson complained that the Federalists "have retired into the judiciary as a stronghold." On the night March 3, 1801, John Marshall, acting as secretary of state, affixed the official seal to the commissions for the justices of the peace. He did not, however, deliver the commissions. The next day, after Thomas Jefferson was inaugurated, he directed the new secretary of state, James Madison, to withhold delivery of 17 of the 42 commissions, including that of William Marbury. William Marbury sued for a writ of mandamus to require Madison to hand over his commission.The decision in Marbury's case, written by Chief Justice John Marshall established and justified the power of judicial review. Judicial review is the ability of the Supreme Court to declare a Legislative or Executive act in violation of the Constitution.
Judicial Review has had a lasting effect on the United States. In cases such as Gideon v. Wainwright,when the Supreme Court forced states to provide counsel in criminal cases for indigent defendants who were being tried for commission of a felony and could not afford their own counsel, Loving v. Virginia, when the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia statute that prohibited interracial marriage, also on equal protection grounds, and Brown v. The Board of Education when the Supreme Court struck down state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students on the grounds that they violated the “equal protection” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, it is apparent that the establishment of judicial review has had and continues to have very significant and lasting impacts on the United States. These cases, caused by the establishment of judicial review, also convey that judicial review has ultimately contributed and continues to help to spread equality.
The 14th and 15th Amendment

The establishment of the 14th and 15th Amendments also referred to as the “Reconstruction Amendments” extended new constitutional protections to African Americans, though the struggle to fully achieve equality would continue into the twentieth century.The Fourteenth Amendment created the privileges and immunities clause, applicable to all citizens; and made the due process and equal protection clauses applicable to all persons.The Fifteenth Amendment, prohibits discrimination in voting rights of citizens on the basis of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." These amendments were designed to ensure the equality for recently emancipated slaves, freedom to former slaves and to establish, and prevent discrimination in civil rights to former slaves and all citizens of the United States.
The promise of these amendments was eventually diluted by state laws and federal court decisions over the course of the 19th century. Women were prohibited by some state constitutions and laws from voting and later, some states passed Jim Crow laws that limited the rights of African-Americans. The full benefits of the Fourteenth, and Fifteenth amendments were not realized until the Supreme Court decision in Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 and laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
The 14th and 15th amendments, although they have had some drawbacks, have had a lasting effect on the United States. The fourteenth amendment gave citizenship to African Americans, and its lasting effect is evident today, as African Americans still maintain citizenship. The fifteenth amendment provided the right to vote to everyone regardless of their race or color and its lasting effect can be seen today, as everyone has the right to vote as American citizens. In this way the establishment of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendment also contributes to the theme of equality.
Conclusion
In conclusion, each of the above topics: The Great Awakening, Judicial Review, and the establishment of the 14th and 15th Amendment all share the theme of equality. The Great Awakening contributes to the theme of equality because it led to religious diversity and tolerance towards other races and minorities in the church. It led to more religious diversity and tolerance as well as greater egalitarianism because it created a demand for religious freedom. The Great Awakening represented the first time African Americans embraced Christianity in large numbers. This movement is significant because it fundamentally led to the unification of the American colonies and was a key cause to the American Revolution. Judicial Review contributes to the theme as evidenced by cases such as Loving v. Virginia, when the Supreme Court struck down a Virginia statute that prohibited interracial marriage, also on equal protection grounds, and Brown v. The Board of Education when the Supreme Court struck down state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students on the grounds that they violated the “equal protection” clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. Along with providing evidence that judicial review adheres to the theme of equality, these cases also make apparent that the establishment of judicial review has had and continues to have very significant and lasting impacts on the United States. The establishment of the fourteenth and fifteenth amendment adheres to the theme of equality because they extended new constitutional protections to African Americans, though the struggle to fully achieve equality would continue into the twentieth century.The Fourteenth Amendment created the privileges and immunities clause, applicable to all citizens; and made the due process and equal protection clauses applicable to all persons.The Fifteenth Amendment, prohibits discrimination in voting rights of citizens on the basis of "race, color, or previous condition of servitude." These amendments were designed to ensure the equality for recently emancipated slaves, freedom to former slaves and to establish, and prevent discrimination in civil rights to former slaves and all citizens of the United States. These Amendments still hold true today. The Great Awakening, Judicial Review, and the establishment of the 14th and 15th Amendment all relate to the recurring theme in history, equality. Conversely each of the named events rely on the theme of equality, they each have major turning points and lasting effects on history and the world we live in today.