The Religious Revival Movement of the 19th Century

The Second Great Awakening was a
religious revival movement at the beginning of the 19th century. This
movement was organized by religious leaders who were worried because
the number of people who attended church was declining. Liberalism in
religion grew and liberal doctrines of deism that relied on reason
rather than revelation evolved. Religious leaders started to hold
revival meetings which resulted in the enrollment of millions of new
members and formation of new religions. Charles Grandison Finney was
the greatest revival preacher. He started the “anxious bench”
where sinners could sit in full view of the congregation. Finney also
encouraged women to pray aloud in public.

At these camp meetings, males and
females, various races and classes worshiped together. Middle-class
women became very supporting of religious revivalism. These women had
an active role in bringing their families back to God.

This movement was designed to remedy
the evils of society. Preachers rejected the idea that people were
sinful and they promoted the human free will. These religious leaders
believed in “the right of private judgement in spiritual matters
and the possibility of universal salvation through faith and good
works.” ( Foner 329) Religion and the pursuit of wealth were
compatible as long as people were honest, temperate, and bound by
conscience.

The movement led to the formation of
new religions and sects such as the Churches of Christ, Christian
Church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Seventh
Day Adventist Church and so on. The Restoration Movement wanted to
restore a purer form of Christianity, a primitive faith based on the
Bible alone. It played a role in the development of Mormons, Baptists
and Shakers. Upstate New York was called the “Burned-over district”
because there were so many different revivals in that area. One of
them was the Church of Latter-day Saints that started when Joseph
Smith supposedly received some golden plates from an angel in 1820.
He became a prophet and missionaries from his church attracted
thousands of members. Smith and the Mormons ran into serious
opposition from the non-Mormons because of practicing polygamy,
voting as a unit and organizing militia for defensive purposes. Smith
eventually was murdered and Brigham Young took over the leadership of
the church. He led his people to Utah where they built their own
“country”. The community became a prosperous theocracy and a
cooperative commonwealth.

Young Brigham

“To part for ever! this can never be,

While one ennobling spirit makes us
free

To think, and act, by Heaven’s
inspiring law,

And from its source all consolation
draw;

This, this alone, in Heaven, Earth, or
Hell,

Will still forbid the Saints to say
“Farewell”.”

This quote is from John Lyon’s poem
called “Farewell”. John Lyon was a Scottish Latter Day Saint poet
who later emigrated to Utah.

This movement greatly impacted the
religious history of the United States. New religions saw their role
in society in purifying the world through the individuals. They
believed that through self-improvement they can make the world a
better place. By encouraging involvement in society, evangelism
provided a powerful stimulus to the multiple social reform movements.

Lyon, John. The Harp of Zion, a
Collection of Poems, &c. Liverpool: S.W. Richards; [etc.,
Etc., 1853. Print.

"Second Great Awakening."
Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 25 Oct. 2010.
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Great_Awakening>.

 Letwin, Daniel, and Eric Foner.
Give Me Liberty!: an American History : Study Guide. New York:
W.W. Norton &, 2005. Print.