Saturday, October 20, 2007

The Great Awakening

The Great Awakening was one of the most influential movements or episodes in the history of North America. Not only did it significantly impact the culture of colonial America, but it laid the groundwork for many of the causes of the American Revolution.

The two most influential leaders of the Great Awakening were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.

No American should be without knowledge of this critical period of our history.

2 comments:

Steve-O said...

I could not agree with you more! The Great Awakening (in combination with the ideas of the enlightenment) paved the way for many of the ideas of the American Revolution.

Brad Hart said...

While I agree that the Great Awakening was a critical part of the revolution, I have to believe that the revolution would have happened with or without it. The best way to explain my opinion is that I believe the Great Awakening was a FASCILITATING movement that helped colonial citizens recognize their individuality and. The revolution (which was predominantly led by elite members of society) already had a strong sense of individuality. To be certain, the Great Awakening aided in America's transition to a republic of the masses, but not at the beginning of the conflict. This change was over time.