Revivalism In America

Throughout the history of the United States there have been numerous movements that have influenced and helped shape the country into what it is today. As far back as the earliest days of settlement in America, religion has been a characteristic that defines this nation. It was freedom and opportunity that brought most settlers to the new land. As the number of settlers increased, the need for foundation increased also. Rapid growth lead to the American colonies going through fast change during the turn of the century. Historians could argue that the century between 1760- and 1860 may have been the most influential in American history. During the period America gained its independence and established itself as a self-sufficient country (Greene)
Attempts to relate Christian instruction to changing social issues brought about the mass spread of the Gospel. Issues that many Americans faced such as alcoholism were topics that preachers like Beecher and Finney preached against (Howe) . Finney was a Arminian in his approach to personal salvation, arguing that instead of waiting on the Holy Spirit to change the sinner’s heart, people should “make themselves a new heart” (Howe) . The revivalism was evangelical and ecumenical but other denominations like Methodists and, in a different manner, Baptists tended to orient toward building a particular denomination (Howe) . Ministers preached to people that to truly receive salvation, they had to turn away from their lifestyle of sin, and had to constantly put forth effort for a perfect life and a perfect society (Foster and Dunnavant) . Ministers and evangelist formed societies to evangelize. Leaders of the societies served as disciples and
Influential leaders of the religious movement began spreading the world of the gospel and using it to open educational institutes founded on the principles of religious beliefs. Inspired by the emotional challenges of the the Second Great Awakening, educators created institutions for deaf and blind education, this was the first time we had seen this is American history (Disability Museum) . The institutes created what we now refer to as special education programs (Disability Museum) .
As colleges and universities began to become more and more common, educators wanted to offer these amenities for students with these disabilities as well. Thomas Gallaudet founded Gallaudet University in the 1860’s, a deaf university in Washington D.C. (Disability Museum) . Around the same time the state of Virginia opened one of the first boarding schools for the blind and deaf in Staunton, Virginia (Disability Museum) .
In the time period between 1840 and 1870, we begin to see Universities being established throughout the nation with the specific intend of being religious universities. Notre Dame and Brigham Young were established specially for Roman Catholic and Mormon Students (Bonami)