Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
Key topic 2: A disrupted society, 1742–64 - 1 The impact of cultural…
Full specification wording
Option P2: Key topic 2: A disrupted society, 1742–64 - 1 The impact of cultural developments: Religious revivals, including the Great Awakening and revivalist preachers.
The Great Awakening was a major religious revival that swept through the British North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, profoundly impacting colonial society.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 3
- 4 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
The Great Awakening was a major religious revival that swept through the British North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, profoundly impacting colonial society. It was characterised by fervent, emotional preaching that emphasised individual salvation and a personal relationship with God, challenging the established, formal church hierarchies. Key revivalist preachers, such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, drew massive crowds with their passionate sermons. This movement led to the rapid growth of new Protestant denominations, such as Baptists and Methodists, and fostered a sense of shared colonial identity while encouraging individuals to question traditional authority.
What earns the marks
- Define the Great Awakening as a period of intense religious revivalism in the colonies.
- Identify key revivalist preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards and describe their preaching styles.
- Explain the impact of the revivals on established churches and the growth of new denominations.
- Analyse how the Great Awakening encouraged colonists to question traditional authority and fostered a shared identity.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Confusing the Great Awakening with the Enlightenment.
Put it right: Distinguish the Great Awakening's focus on emotion and faith from the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and science.
Assuming the revivals only affected one specific colony.
Put it right: Highlight that the Great Awakening was a widespread movement that affected all the British North American colonies.
Believing the movement strengthened the Church of England.
Put it right: Explain that it actually weakened established churches and led to the rise of dissenting groups.
Exam tips
- Mention George Whitefield's open-air sermons as a concrete example of how revivalist preachers reached large audiences.
- Discuss the social impact of the Great Awakening, including its appeal to lower classes, women, and enslaved people.
- Connect the questioning of religious authority during the Great Awakening to the later questioning of political authority.
Try the lesson
The start of the Option P2: Key topic 2: A disrupted society, 1742–64 - 1 The impact of cultural developments: Religious revivals, including the Great Awakening and revivalist preachers. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
Which term describes the series of intense religious revivals that swept through the American colonies in the mid-eighteenth century?
Listen
The Great Awakening was a major religious revival that swept through the British North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, profoundly impacting colonial society. It was characterised by fervent, emotional preaching that emphasised individual salvation and a personal relationship with God, challenging the established, formal church hierarchies. Key revivalist preachers, such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards, drew massive crowds with their passionate sermons. This movement led to the rapid growth of new Protestant denominations, such as Baptists and Methodists, and fostered a sense of shared colonial identity while encouraging individuals to question traditional authority. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Define the Great Awakening as a period of intense religious revivalism in the colonies. Identify key revivalist preachers like George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards and describe their preaching styles. Explain the impact of the revivals on established churches and the growth of new denominations. Analyse how the Great Awakening encouraged colonists to question traditional authority and fostered a shared identity. A common slip: Confusing the Great Awakening with the Enlightenment. Instead, Distinguish the Great Awakening's focus on emotion and faith from the Enlightenment's emphasis on reason and science. Exam tip: Mention George Whitefield's open-air sermons as a concrete example of how revivalist preachers reached large audiences.
Key words
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Great Awakening
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Revivalist preachers
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Challenge to authority
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Colonial identity
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See every definition
- Great Awakening
- A major religious revival that swept through the British North American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, profoundly impacting colonial society.
- Revivalist preachers
- Preachers such as George Whitefield and Jonathan Edwards who drew massive crowds with fervent, emotional sermons emphasising individual salvation and a personal relationship with God.
- Challenge to authority
- Encouraging individuals to question traditional authority, including the established, formal church hierarchies.
- Colonial identity
- A sense of shared identity fostered among the colonists by the movement.
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