19th Century Religion

Religion in the 18th and 19th Centuries

Religion in the 18th and 19th Centuries Religion the early years of America was changing rapidly. From the Puritans that landed on Plymouth Rock to the early colonies spreading across the Atlantic, each group had their own unique take on God, the Church, the family, and their community. During the 18th and 19th centuries, specifically, many religious movements took place that dramatically changed and shaped the America we know today. From 1700 to 1899, a great many changes occurred within the spiritual world. Of the many that came to pass, those that will be discussed in the following essay are the First Great Awakening, the Second Great Awakening, and finally the Anti-Catholic
Sentiments and Nativism. In the early 1700s, religious ardor was reaching a fever pitch: a new style of preaching was spreading across Pennsylvania and New Jersey and was attracting immense crowds searching for religious enlightenment. The key aspect of these meetings was impassioned, heartfelt preaching that would bring sinners to experience evangelical conversion with bursts of emotion: weeping, shouting, and fist-waving.
One of the first propagators of this movement (now known as the First Great Awakening) is George Whitefield, an English preacher who traveled across America and delivered fiery speeches to immense crowds. The message was fairly similar to traditional Calvinists beliefs (men and women were totally dependent on the mercy of an omnipotent God in order to be saved) but the delivery was more of a theatrical performance than mere preaching. In addition to the impressive and intriguing delivery, people were attracted to this boisterous and emotional revival because of social circumstances: many people in society felt as though Americans were straying from their religious roots and focusing on the material. Johnathan Edwards, a Yale minister, was aggravated at the lax approach to religion and focus on wealth that was spreading across America. He was one of the original advocates of a need to return to the Calvinist ideals; as an early proponent of the Great Awakening, he delivered furious speeches that proclaimed, “God was an angry judge, and humans were sinners!" (ushistory.org, 2012). Awakening preachers sought to renew God 's covenant with America and to reject the materialistic, corrupt world of an
affluent society. That said, Americans too were desperate for solace: finding salvation through God was akin to finding a safe haven “...from all the evils afflicting ordinary people—as islands of disciplined stability and Christian charity in a churning sea of social chaos and cultural confusion” (Heyrman, 2008). However, while it invigorated certain segments of religious America, it also divided them: the supporters of the Awakening and its evangelical thrust (Presbyterians, Baptists and Methodists) became the largest American Protestant denominations by the first decades of the nineteenth century. Those who criticized the Awakening, however (Anglicans, Quakers, and Congregationalists) splintered off into fringe groups or were left behind completely (Library of Congress, 2010). Once into the 19th century, the First Great Awakening eventually transformed into what is now referred to as the Second Great Awakening.
Because many groups splintered over the First Great Awakening, the early 19th century was riddled with a variety of different sects, each of whom held different values and beliefs. Further, the American Revolution was “a largely secular affair” (ushistory.org, 2012) – as such, religious control was out of the hands of political leaders, and a great many grassroots revivals began to spread across the country. A sense of evangelicalism pervaded these revivals, which ultimately turned into large, outdoor “camp meetings” filled with enthusiastic and emphatic preaching and crowds that were physically moved within the presence of God 's word. An upsurge in Arminianism (which holds that people have free will and that it is compatible with God 's sovereignty) spread throughout America. For all that the 19th century evangelicals preached about hellfire and damnation, “... they nonetheless harbored an unshakable practical belief in the capacity of humans for moral action, in the ability of humans to turn away from sinful behavior and embrace moral action” (Scott, 2000). This type of belief was quite different from the views of Calvinists and of the First Great Awakening, which viewed human existence as reprobate and that salvation was only possible through God 's almighty grace. The Second Great Awakening emphasized human 's choices and actions,
and was generally more optimistic about the human condition (ushistory.org, 2012). Leaders of the Second Great Awakening included Charles Grandison Finney, Lyman Beecher, and Francis Asbury. Finney, one of the original leaders of the evangelical explosion in the early 19th century, is credited for having said, “Religion is the work of man, it is something for man to do” (Scott, 2000) - a perfect example of the pervasive beliefs during the Second Great Awakening. It is important to note the sheer gravity of this moment. It was more than merely a new way to organize congregants or a new take on doctrine: it was, in fact, a vast and powerful religious movement. By the 1820 's, evangelicalism had become one of the most dynamic and important cultural forces in American life (Scott, 2000). While there were still distinct denominational affiliations among Americans, “19th century evangelicals consider[ed] themselves participants in a much broader spiritual movement to evangelize the nation and world” (Scott, 2000). However, there were still many religious movements occurring in the 19th century. One of the most noted is that of the Catholic immigration and subsequent campaign against them. In the early- to mid-, Catholics made up a small percent of the religious fabric of America. In 1850 Catholics made up only five percent of the total U.S. Population – but by 1906, they made up seventeen percent of the total population (14 million out of 82 million people)—and constituted the single largest religious denomination in the country (Byrne, 2000). This immense leap in a relatively short period of time was sure to disrupt and offend Americans ' view of religion and immigration. While the 'original ' group of Catholics tended to be well-educated and wealthy, this new wave of Catholics (stemming from the infamous potato famine in Ireland and the economic depression in Germany) was quite different: new languages, new socio-economic statuses, and the willingness to work for next-to-nothing in order to survive. Anti-Catholic rioting spread in the late 1800s, the largest occurring in Philadelphia in 1844 that resulted in deaths, injuries, and serious destruction of property (ushistory.org, 2012). Organizations and political parties dubbed “Nativists” sprung up, demanding a limit to immigration, and a ban on immigrants from holding office and voting. In 19th century America, where a Second Great Awakening had just taken place, the Catholic faith - with its elaborate rituals, emphasis on saints, use of incense and chanting, etc - seemed to most American evangelicals as very strange, even "wrong." (Of course, Catholics thought Protestants were strange and “wrong”, as well.) Famous Nativist writers such and Lyman Beecher and Samuel Morse used the fear of change and contempt at the Catholic immigrants to create a sense of Protestant unity and ultimately attempted to lead a mission toward building a “Christian America” (Haynes, 1990). All three of these movements played a great role in the United States when they occurred, throughout history, and ultimately in the America we know today. Many of the religions and worship techniques established in both the First and Second Great Awakenings still stand today: a profound sense of conviction, physical reactions to sermons, boisterous and emotional gatherings of worship in large numbers, and more. The anti-Catholic beliefs that tore through America in the late 19th century had profound effects then as it does now: many religions are still persecuted – including Catholics – and the underlying currents of class warfare and immigration are still issues that plague us today. While these religious movements – and a great many others – brought both good and bad change to society, they all helped shape the world that we know now.

References
Byrne, J. (2000). Roman catholics and immigration in nineteenth-century america. Retrieved from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nromcath.htm

Haynes, C. (1990). Religion in American history : what to teach and how. Alexandria, Va: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. and http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/nativism/pages/historical_bg.html

Heyrman, Christine L. (2008). “The First Great Awakening.” Divining America, TeacherServe©. National Humanities Center. Retrieved from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/eighteen/ekeyinfo/grawaken.htm>

Library of Congress. (2010). Religion in 18th-century america. Retrieved from http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/religion/rel02.html

Scott, D. (2000). Evangelicalism, revivalism, and the second great awakening. Retrieved from http://nationalhumanitiescenter.org/tserve/nineteen/nkeyinfo/nevanrev.htm

ushistory.org. (2012). The great awakening. Retrieved from http://www.ushistory.org/us/7b.asp