Question

answer the following in your own words (do not copy and paste from the text): 1. what was the first great awakening? 2. explain how the enlightenment caused the great awakening. 3. give three characteristics of the great awakening. 4. who were its key figures in north america? 5. what were the effects of the great awakening in the british colonies? before the age of revolution, america experienced a time of intense revival and renewed focus on religion. it shaped much of american culture in years to come and laid the foundation for future religious and social movements. as an ap us history student, it is absolutely essential that you understand the importance of the first great awakening in america. this crash course will fill you in! definition: a movement of religious revival during the mid to late 18th century. background: one of the most prominent movements of the 18th century was the enlightenment, which was a result of the scientific revolution. the enlightenment, which originally took hold in europe, encouraged people to value logic and reason more than just taking things at face value or accepting them by faith. people such as philosophers john locke and david hume led the movement. this ultimately led to a decline in faith, and often, a decline a piety. church attendance declined, and the importance of spiritual matters in daily life was diminished. overview: as stated in the definition, the first great awakening refers to a period of time in the mid 18th century marked by religious renewal. it was a time that saw a dramatic increase in preaching and church attendance, and religious and spiritual matters were brought to the forefront of american life, more so than they had been since before the enlightenment. people not only started to pay more attention to spiritual matters, particularly the christian faith, but people also started to think about how these things played a role in their everyday lives. also, emotion, more than reason, started to have a significant impact on people’s faith. a couple of key figures ultimately sparked the great awakening in america. one of those figures was jonathan edwards, a prominent minister who is most well known for his sermon titled “sinners in the hand of an angry god.” edwards not only delivered very intense and emotional sermons, he was also an extremely well known author with many popular books. one of these books is simply known as “a faithful narrative” and it describes a revival that took place in northampton, ma. his accounts of this revival sparked many other revivals across the country. another key figure to the first great awakening is george whitefield. whitefield was a popular preacher at the time and he was famous for his incredible oratory. he was known to attract thousands of people just to hear him speak. he is often described as a very theatrical teacher

Explanation:

The First Great Awakening was a mid - late 18th - century religious revival in America. Key figures were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. It increased preaching and church attendance, emphasizing emotion in faith.

Answer:

1. The First Great Awakening was a period of religious renewal in the mid - 18th century in America with increased preaching and focus on spiritual matters.
2. The Enlightenment, which valued logic over faith, led to a decline in piety, prompting the Great Awakening as a religious response.
3. Characteristics: increased church attendance, emotional preaching, focus on Christian faith in daily life.
4. Key figures: Jonathan Edwards, George Whitefield.
5. Effects in British colonies: revived religious interest, influenced social and cultural life, led to new religious movements.