The 2 nd Great Awakening

1. The 2nd Great Awakening

2. When did Christianity establish itself as America’s main religion? • In 1801, a religious movement began spreading across North Carolina and the country. • The movement was sparked by evangelical Christian ideas. • People flocked to large outdoor gatherings held by preachers that told them to repent their sins and build relationships with God.

3. How did the movement affect the nation? • The religious movement’s ideas meshed with what the new America believed in. • Both believed in starting over and moving forward. • The movement also taught that humans should believe in individual responsibility, and that “social status” doesn’t matter. Instead, a person’s soul is what matters.

4. How was NC impacted by the movement? • In North Carolina especially, the local church became a major part of a person’s social life. • Church was a place everyone gathered and saw each other. • How many of you have friends/family friends that you met through Church?

5. Was slavery impacted? • The evangelical movement spread to African Americans as well. • Blacks worshipped alongside whites and converted to Christianity. • This raised the question: If blacks were equal in God’s eyes, should they be equal in society as well? Slave owners didn’t think so. • They pointed to the Bible verse that stated: “Slaves obey your masters.”

6. What was abolitionism? • Abolitionism was a powerful antislavery movement that began taking place in the Northern states. • By the middle of the 1800’s, this conflict between North and South would tear the nation apart (Civil War)

7. How did Eli Whitney impact agricultural production? • In Georgia, Eli Whitney invented a device called the cotton gin. • This device separated plant’s sticky seeds from the cotton fibers more efficiently than older methods. • It allowed farmers to grow even more cotton and make even more money.