Taking a Look at the Great Awakening

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The Great Awakening was a spiritual movement that began in the 1730’s in the middle colonies. It was mostly led by these people; Jonathan Edwards, a congregational pastor in Massachusetts, Theodore J. Frelinghuysen, a Dutch Byterian Pastor in New Jersey; Gilbert Tennent, a Presbyterian Pastor in New Jersey; and George Whitefield, a traveling Methodist Preacher from New England. The most widely known leader was George Whitefield. At the beginning of the very first Great Awakening appeared mostly among Presbyterians in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey. The Presbyterians initiated religious revivals during these times. During this time, they also started a seminary to train clergyman. The seminary’s original name was Log College, now it is known as Princeton University. In the 1740s the clergymen of these churches were conducting revivals throughout that area. The Great Awakening spread from the Presbyterians of the middle colonies to the Congregationalist (puritans) and Baptist of New England.
The Great Awakening resulted in the growing of the Baptist and Presbyterian churches. In revivalist services music played a very important role in getting people to accept Jesus. Preachers used the singing of hymns, psalms, and spirituals as a form of emotionally connecting and bonding with their congregation. The results in America were astounding, at least 50,000 souls were added to the churches of New England out of a population of amazingly only 250,000 people. The Great Awakening also affected over one hundred towns in the middles states. Biblically based schools and bible based colleges also multiplied during this time.
The main carrier of this revival was George Whitefield, a traveling Methodist preacher from New England. George Whitefield preached around the areas of America and England from the time periods of 1740 through 1770. George Whitefield’s revivals led to many people converting to Christianity, since so many people were converting into Christians, The Great Awakening spread from America to England. George Whitefield was born on December 16th, 1714 in Gloucester, England. George Whitefield’s dad died when he was only two years old. He phenomenally grew up as a normal kid, even though he lost his father at such a young age. When George Whitefield was a child he got a very bad case of measles that left him with squint in his eyes for the rest of his life.
At the very young age of fifteen George Whitefield persuaded his mother to let him drop out of school.

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