The Second Great Awakening and Utopian Societies PPT

The Second Great Awakening and Utopian Societies

The Second Great Awakening  Around 1800 – 1830’s  Revival of the Great Awakening of the early 18th

century  Emphasis on personal piety over schooling and

theology

 A religious movement during the 19th century which

expressed that every person could be saved through revivals  Led to the formation of new denominations  Surge in church membership of Methodists and

Baptists

 Arose in several places:  New England – social activism 

New York – growth of new denominations



Appalachian region (KY and TN) – energized Presbyterians, Methodists and Baptists Camp meetings  First in South-Central KY in June 1800 

 Revival’s effects consisted of two main strains: 

The virtues and behavior of the middle class – a strong work ethic, frugality – were encouraged



The ability of individuals to make changes to their lives sparked reform movements

 The movement spread through southern OH, KY,

and TN  Among Baptists, ordinary farmers frequently felt

they were called by God to become preachers  The Bible Belt of the South was born

 The Second Great Awakening left a lasting impact on

American Society 

Established Churches



Social Reform

Utopian Societies  In the early 1800’s, more than 100,000 individuals

formed utopian societies  Utopian Society – Ideal or perfect society  1820-1860 – large attempt to create numerous

communities that would serve as perfect societies

 The people that formed these communities believed

that the way to a better life was to separate themselves from the corrupting influence of the larger society  Practiced cooperative or communal living and

rejected the idea of private property

 Mormons  Oneida Community  The Shakers  New Harmony

 Brook Farm

The Shakers  Located in several states  Got their name from a ritual shaking dance that

members performed  Reached their peak in the mid-1800’s with 6,000

members

 Began in England in 1747  Led by Ann Lee – “Mother Ann”  Lee moved with her followers to America in 1774  The community quickly grew

 Believed in absolute celibacy  Eventually, the numbers dwindled  3 Shakers left today  Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, KY

– living history museum

Brook Farm  Community near Boston  Based on social or political ideologies  Founded by George Ripley in 1841  Harmony with nature, communal living, and hard

work

 Collapsed in 1846 after a huge fire destroyed a large

building that was uninsured  The Farm could not continue  Influential in fights for women’s and labor rights