AP Essay Prompt

The Great Awakening was a religious movement that occurred in the 1730s and 1740s. It began following a time of lows in religious conversions, a lack of religious fervor, and was spurred on by the challenges presented by liberal ideas to the old-religions. It was characterized by the thundering, emotion evoking homilies of Jonathan Edwards, the orator George Whitefield, and the growth of emotion in religion. The Great Awakening, occurring in the 1730s and 40s, was a time of rebirth and renewed fervor for religion in the colonies. It was ultimately successful, bringing an awakening for religion in America and began to bring about the seperation of church and state.

The Great Awakening was period of renewed vigor and fervor for religion in the colonies. Preachers like Whitefield and Edwards brought emotion into religion and a change from the "dead dogs" - though in different ways and the idea of emotion in religion became a problem. Schisms occurred with many small churches popping up and competition between American churches grew. As a result of the the new wave of fervor and emotion new waves of missionaries were sent out to both Indians and black slaves. Colleges like Dartmouth and Rutgers were established too. It also represented a monstrous movement of the masses in America, foreshadowing the Revolutionary War.

The Great Awakening also encouraged and moved America closer to the seperation of the church and state. The schisms among the churches that occurred, creating more churches and more denominations made it harder to have a church of the colony. There were so many denominations that it was difficult for the government to enforce the religion as was previously intended. Also, colonies based on a religion and for people of a certain religion were diversified. The governments of theses colonies could no longer uphold and enforce their religion, there were more people of differing denominations.