- Religious focus: Emphasized personal religious experience, emotionalism, and conversion.
- Led by: Itinerant preachers like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield.
- Social impact: Promoted democratic ideals, challenged authority, and contributed to the American Revolution.
- Geographic spread: Primarily in the American colonies.
Second Great Awakening (early 1800s)
- Religious focus: Similar to the First Great Awakening, but with a stronger emphasis on social reform and activism.
- Led by: Circuit-riding preachers like Peter Cartwright and Charles Grandison Finney.
- Social impact: Led to various reform movements, including abolitionism, temperance, women's rights, and utopian communities.
- Geographic spread: Nationwide in the United States and beyond.
Key differences:
- Social reform: The Second Great Awakening had a stronger focus on social reform and activism compared to the First Great Awakening.
- Geographical scope: The Second Great Awakening had a greater reach, spreading across the United States and beyond.
Both awakenings were significant religious movements that played a crucial role in shaping American society and religious landscape.