tier (e.g., Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio) where Ameri-
cans were moving to new farmland. Like its predeces-
sor, this Awakening caused massive conversions to
Christianity, a strong democratic movement in the
churches, and an increase in personal morality and
piety. It saved the country from a social and moral
breakdown that followed the disappearance of the old
British imperial social structure and allowed a social
economic FREEDOMbased in individual ethical conduct.
This fueled various social reform movements, such as
the prohibition of alcohol and the abolition of slavery.
While the Great Awakening of the mid 1700s occurred
primarily in the existing churches (PRESBYTERIAN,
Anglican, Congregational), the Second Great Awaken-
ing spawned new evangelical denominations (BAPTIST,
Methodist), which soon became the largest churches
in the United States. Relying more on ordinary Chris-
tians, emphasizing “the priesthood of all believers,”
these religious awakenings diminished the monopoly
of ordained clergy on church leadership and increased
the democratic culture in U.S. religion. This, in turn,
spread an EGALITARIANand democratic worldview in
other aspects of society, especially politics, business,
and the family.
Similar religious revivals or awakenings have
occurred throughout the West (e.g., Savonarola in
15th-century Florence, Italy; the Moravians in 18th-
century Germany; Methodists in 18th-century Britain)
with political ramifications. Usually, they are aimed at
attacking individual immorality and political corrup-
tion, causing personal and social transformations.Further Reading
Miller, P., and Heimert, A. The Great Awakening.Indianapolis:
Bobbs-Merrill, 1967.26 Awakening