Prompt:  Write a detailed essay on the subject of “The Second Great Awakening” that includes the answers to the following statements and questions: What were the basic changes the movement brought to religious doctrine, who was the most important person connected with the movement, how was the movement connected with westward expansion and be sure to describe how the “Second Great Awakening” is connected to the emergence of reform movements during the era and then describe a minimum of three of these reform movements.

     Essentially the heart of the Second Great Awakening was a religious revival boldly repainting the previous thought on religion into a more optimistic, democratic theology that actually drew in the common people. Previously, it was thought (the Calvinist viewpoint) that people were predestined to heaven or hell and could not have a say in their own fates. The new evangelical theory pressed individual free will and the theory that everyone is equal in the eyes of God and that God is the free, loving, saving grace for humans.

     The main source of information on the new theories came from inspirational bishops that traveled all over preaching about the new emotionally intense, passionate, musical, spiritually fulfilling interpretation of the Bible. The main intent of the leaders of the Second Great Awakening was for people to convert and be “born again” into a more moral, harmonized, perfect society. By depleting sinful practices such as drunkenness, idleness, Sabbath-breaking, prostitution, war and slavery, they would be making the world a more peaceful, Godly, moral place. The greatest leader of the religious movement was Charles Grandison Finney. Originally a lawyer who converted and became a Presbyterian minister, he became the most sought after preacher in America and his crusade directly affected the influx of religious families willing to adopt the new perfectionist sentiments. By 1835 three out of four adults maintained a church affiliation whereas in the 1790’s only one out of twenty did. The effects of this movement were especially significant because the majority of topics of moral and religious debate at the time also happened to be topics of current political controversy. The three most prominent reform movements (commonly referred to as Antebellum reform) initiated by the quest for morality included reforms in temperance, women’s rights and abolitionism. Temperance addressed the issue on individualized morality, women’s rights were the fight for equal rights among the sexes and abolitionism was the fight against slavery and attempt for equality among races. Because of the political nature of these well argued, democratic, religious issues, the advancement of American political democracy in government came up often in debate. Subsequent to the influx of new ideas, the new found American liberality, democratic appeal and other effects of the Romantic Era, the US began to form more accurately the framework of government we are familiar with today. Another point worth mentioning during this hectic time period is the effect of the Second Great Awakening on westward expansion. Although there was a lot of liberal thinking, open mindedness and even more toleration of radicalism during this time, there was one fairly large, successful denomination that was not accepted by society. The way of the Mormons was considered blasphemous to the other evangelical Christian groups; The Book of Mormons aroused hostility and the practice of polygamy was unspeakable. In 1844 when threats, lynchings and other attacks became reality they decided to move west, far away from their enemies. The travel was long and difficult and many died along the way. The majority of Mormons settled in the Salt Lake region and by 1860 their population reached 40,000 people. Before their journey, settlers of the West (other than Indians) were rare due to the rugged terrain and rural lifestyle. The Mormon migration attributed much to the beginnings of civilization in the vast West.

     In conclusion, the Second Great Awakening had many prolific impacts despite its solid religious beginning. The converting of masses of people and standardization of social morality (and subsequently political morality) generally led to a more stable, unified nation (other than the abolition of slavery but that was necessary for the introduction of the Industrial Era and modernization later.) The reform movements led to further solidification of the US constitution acting as a precursor to Jacksonian Democracy, the war over slavery and, consequently and most importantly, a much more democratic government with more equal rights for the people. The Second Great Awakening nudged the slumbering, idle, Americans out of their warm cribs and into the world of opportunity that was always just outside the bars of their own, hand crafted oppression.