The Enlightenment

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The Enlightenment

• The gentry (well educated) merchants,
  ministers, and self-improving artisans, and
  farmers embraced a wider world of ideas and
  information
• For readers and thinkers an age of optimism and
  progress was dawning.

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The Enlightenment

• Combination of confidence in human reason and
  skepticism toward beliefs not founded on science
  or strict logic
• Major source of Enlightenment thought was English
  physicist Sir Isaac Newton (1642-1727) explained
  how gravity ruled the universe

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Sir Isaac Newton
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The Enlightenment

• Benjamin Franklin embodied the Enlightenment
• Franklin organized merchants and artisan who
  shared his love of learning into the Junto
  (reading discussion group).
• At age 40 Franklin retired and devoted himself to
  science and community service.

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The Enlightenment

• Enlightenment grew first in cities
• Franklin organized the American Philosophical
  Society, in 1743 to encourage all philosophical
  experiments that let light into the nature of
  things, tend to increase the power of man over
  matter, and multiply the conveniences and
  pleasures of life.
• By 1769, the society had grown to include amateur
  scientist from all of the colonies.

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The Enlightenment

• John Locke in 1690, led many to embrace
  reasonable and rational religion with his
  Essay Concerning Human Understanding.
• Locke describe religion as being acquired through
  toilsome investigation not being inborn.
• Harmony and order of nature defends Gods
  existence.
• Deists concluded God after creating a perfect
  universe did not miraculously intervene in its
  workings.

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The Great Awakening

• 1739 an outpouring of European Protestant
  revivalism spread to British North America.
• Crossed lines of class, gender, and even race.
• Caused an anxiety and longing among ordinary
  people about sin and longing for salvation.
• Some revivalists were intellectuals, comfortable
  with Enlightenment ideas, but required emotional
  commitment.

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The Great Awakening

• Ministers drew audiences into outbursts of
  religious fervor.
• Jonathan Edwards, a Congregationalist led
  revivals in Massachusetts in 1735.
• Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

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Jonathan Edwards
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Great Awakening

• George Whitefield
• Overpowered his audiences
• Inspired thousands to seek salvation
• Most converts were young adults
• Numbers joining the church jumped from 630 in
  1740 to 3,217 after Whitefield toured in 1741.

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Great Awakening

• Whitefield invited Gilbert Tennent (Williams
  son) to follow him.
• to blow up the divine flame lately kindled
  there
• James Davenport was later expelled from Boston.
  He claimed the clergy were leading the people to
  hell
• Both Davenport and Tennent exposed the divisions
  of colonial society.

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Great Awakening

• New Lights (revivalists) and Old Lights
  (rationalist clergy)
• Lines hardened between the two after Whitefields
  and Gardens exchange
• Books such as Gilbert Tennents The Danger of an
  Unconverted Ministry, sewed doubts as to the
  salvation and therefore leadership of most
  Presbyterian ministers

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Great Awakening

• Old Lights accused their rivals of an epidemic of
  the enthusiasm.
• The two rivals did not reunite until 1758 when
  revivalists won.
• The Great Awakening peaked in 1742.
• Virginia 1755

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Great Awakening

• Long Term Effects
• Revival marked a decline in the influence of
  Quakers (other established denominations
  decreased) Presbyterian and Baptist grew.
• Stimulated the founding of new colleges
• Emphasis on piety over intellectual learning as
  the key to Gods grace led some Africans and
  Native Americans to combine aspects of
  traditional religion and Christianity.
• Samson Occom native American preacher

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Great Awakening

• Added to significance of white womens religious
  prominence
• Mostly Baptist and Congregationalists, granted
  women the right to speak and vote in church
  meetings.
• Some women even lead groups that included men.
• Sarah Osborn of Newport private prayer society
  that included both men and women, and black
  slaves.