The great awakening in Virginia, 1740-1790

The great awakening in Virginia, 1740-1790

by Wesley M. Gewehr

Part of Duke University publications

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In this study of the Great Awakening in Virginia, the author endeavors to show the far-reaching effects of the series of evangelical revivals which swept the colony in wave after wave during the thirty or forty years preceding the American Revolution, and then again after the war. He believes that he has proven that the rise of the popular churches, which resulted from the Great Awakening, contributed very definitely, not only to the religious life of Virginia, but also to the rise of political democracy, and to the social revolution which had transformed the Old Dominion by the end of the eighteenth century. Furthermore, he shows that the Great Awakening set in motion certain humanitarian and educational forces which left their permanent impress upon the life of Virginia. -- Preface.

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  1. 1

    Gewehr argues that the Great Awakening "contributed very definitely... to the rise of political democracy." What specific evidence or developments did you find most compelling in supporting this assertion, and how did religious revival translate into democratic principles?

  2. 2

    The book describes a "social revolution" transforming the Old Dominion. In what ways did the rise of "popular churches" disrupt or redefine existing social hierarchies and community structures in Virginia?

  3. 3

    Consider the "far-reaching effects" of a movement like the Great Awakening. Can you identify any contemporary social or cultural movements, religious or secular, that you believe are currently having similarly profound and unexpected impacts on society?

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