Causes Of The Great Awakening

John Adams agreed to represent the British soldiers on trial for killing the five civilians. Adams justified defending the soldiers because he was an open-minded gentleman who believed deeply that every person deserves a defense in court, so he took the case right away proving to everyone how serious he was about being right with the law and not by personal emotions. It actually took seven months after the incident known as the Boston Massacre for the start of the trials. When they did begin in October 24, 1770 they lasted until December 5th. The names of the soldiers that were brought in were; Corporal William Wemms, William McCauley, James Hartigan, Hugh White, Matthew Kilroy, Hugh Montgomery, William Warren and John

The first blood shed of the revolution occurred as a result to the Boston Massacre, “Order quickly broke down, and the frightened soldiers fired into the crowd. ”(Doc D). The officers reacted violently when they could have found a more peaceful way to resolve things especially since they had a power advantage over the colonists. On the other hand though, the colonists were not completely innocent either, “Applying the burning hot tar to bare skin usually caused painful blistering and efforts to remove it often made the condition worse. ”(Doc

Regardless of a colony’s religious situation, whether they allowed complete freedom of worship or were occupied by strict religious laws, all thirteen colonies were affected by a movement called the Great Awakening. Generally, the Great Awakening is characterized by a fervent revival in religion practice. Although, this movement had a major impact on most aspects of colonial life, it is important to note the effect it had on religion and how that in turn affected the political life of the colonist. Because of The Great Awakening, many ministers lost authority the authority they held over because more people were taking to studying the Bible in their own homes. This idea would have larger implications for the future.

They called themselves the Sons of Liberty. They borded three ships and dumped all the tea on bored into the harbor. Then, they marched through the streets of Boston. The colonists were punished. The British Parliament closed

The Great Awakening strived to erase the lines between religions by promoting religious pluralism and the concept that all faiths were equal. Primarily, the separation of Church and State was finally in place, which showed the opposition to allowing religion facilitate the decisions of their nation. The Awakening weakened the cultural authority of the upper class and produced a vision of a society drawn in more equal lines. Overall, the thought of finally being equal unified the colonies and created universities that were not controlled by the Church. The new universities promoted different types of curriculum which was not based on religion.

These protests were named “Shay’s Rebellion”. Many different causes made the protest in Massachusetts the most violent. Depression, bad harvests, and high taxes made it difficult for farmers to make a living. Shay’s Rebellion was named after the leader of the movement Daniel

The Declaration of Independence announced the decision to separate the colonies from the British Empire. The colonies would end up forming the United States of America. The Preamble is the introductory statement at the beginning which gives a general overview of the rest of the document. The next section contains a list of rights of the people of the newly formed government will receive. The third section explains the list of grievances that were being experienced in the colonies under the rule of the British.

The Second Great Awakening also consisted of the growth of many churches in the United States and increased the percentage of religious people by a lot. The second great awakening influenced several social reforms that took place later and helped change our country into what it is today. The Second Great Awakening definitely expanded the number of active church members and affected the United States in many ways later in its

During the Second Great Awakening, new religious doctrine originating in the New England states led to a shifting of religious beliefs, including long held opinions regarding slavery. This mid-19th Century reform was sparked by Abolitionist leaders like William Lloyd Garrison, who took to the podium as well as published anti-slavery views. Likewise, Fredrick Douglas took a stand as a free black man, educator, writer and orator, publicly denouncing slavery. In addition, Harriet Tubman along with Quakers assisted groups of slaves to freedom through the use of the Underground Railroad. Books such as Uncle Tom’s Cabin exposed the inhumane abuse and treatment of slaves, bringing profound awareness of atrocities being carried out by slave owners

The massacre leads to propaganda against the British in order to vilify England’s rule in the public eye and sparks thoughts of freedom throughout the colonies. The Sons of Liberty, a secret society of colonists, took an active part in the opposition of British taxes and rule, as well as rallying the people against the British. The British repeal the Townshend Duties several weeks after the massacre in an effort to maintain good relations with the colonies. However, this attempt fails as the colonists begin to rebel more and more openly against British rule. In 1773, the British establish the Tea Act in order to support the ailing East India Company, the same year, colonists dressed as Native Americans infiltrate a ship which carried tea from the East India Company and tossed the entire shipment of tea into the harbor, ruining it.

During the early nineteenth century, religion, moral differences and confusion divided communities and institutions. Abolitionism became an influential movement, many white reformers and free blacks were active in ending slavery. This challenged southern society, caused political unrest and led to the civil war. Protestants used revivals to grow their following especially because the amount of Catholics and Mormons grew. Though southern churches didn’t really participate in social reform, the Second Great Awakening gave people structure in the communities.

The primary objective of the Declaration of Independence was to announce the thirteen colonies’ unanimous decision to gain independence from Great Britain (Heritage). The document has three major themes; the first discusses human rights and the role of the government, the second lists the grievances, and the third expresses the colonies’ desire for independence. The Preamble is the first section of the document, and it proclaims that all men are equal and have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It requires a fair and just government to protect the rights of the citizens. The Declaration of Independence further outlines how the people can decide the way the government should form, how it should function, and

The First Great Awakening was brought over to America from Europe in the early 1700’s, which brought Pietism, Enlightenment and Protestant faith. The Protestant faith was established in the United States during the colonial era with the first Great Awakening and grew after the War of 1812. Men were mostly of the hierarchy till the roles of the women transitioned through the war. A while later, the Second Great Awakening increased the churches to a lucrative Christian society in which preached spiritual equality and could democratically govern themselves within a hierarchy (Henretta). During the Second Great Awakening there was a substantial amount of importance for religious women in the church as they searched for a social, political and cultural

The American Enlightenment and the Great Awakening were two very important motivators that changed the colonial society in America through religious beliefs, educational values, and the right to live one’s life according to each individual’s preference. The Great Awakening and the American Enlightenment movements were two events in history that signaled a grand distinction to the teachings among religious believers. New beliefs of how a person should worship in order to be considered in “God’s good graces” soon became an enormous discussion among colonists across the land. “Men of the cloth,” such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards were well respected and closely followed when preaching about the love of God and damnation.

Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine are both considered to be founding fathers of the United States of America despite the fact that they both came from different backgrounds. Thomas Paine was born in Norfolk England, the son of Quaker and left school early to become his father’s apprentice. Thomas Jefferson was born in Colonial America in the colony of Virginia to a wealthy planter father and a mother from a distinguished family. He was given an extraordinary education and attended college earning a degree in law. As a young man Thomas Paine traveled in England constantly, working and pursuing many different ventures before emigrating to America in 1774.