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Mar 31, 1517
Protestant Reformation
Started by Martin Luther and Calvin, this movement emphasized faith over works or money. This led to the split of the Catholic church, essentially dividing Catholics from Protestants, and caused controversy among colonists. -
Mar 31, 1545
Counter Reformation
In response to the counter reformation, the Catholic church sought to improve the corruption within their church. While people were still wary of the church this improved their image and created Jesuits -
Puritans
Colonists from Europe who came to America in hopes to ‘purify’ the Church of England. They emphasized the importance of an individual’s relationship with God developed through Bible study, prayer, and introspection. -
Roger Williamsq
A minister from Salem, Williams opposed the decision to establish an official religion and agreed with the Pilgrims’ separation of church and state and advocated for toleration and also questioned the morality of taking indians’ land. Magistrates banned him from the colony in 1636. Williams took his followers and settled Providence, a religiously tolerant colony. -
Anne Hutchinson
A woman who advocated for faith over works in religion, Magistrates also banned Anne from the colony for being a threat because of her ‘radical’ ideas and gender. Anne followed Roger Williams to Rhode island. -
Toleration Act Maryland
As Maryland served as a symbol for refuge for Catholics, Lord Baltimore convinced the assembly to enact the Toleration Act which granted all Christians the right to follow their beliefs and hold church services. -
Quakers
Religious group who settled in America in search for relief of persecution. The Quakers eventually settled in Pennsylvania where William Penn hoped it to be a refuge for them. They believed in faith over works but rejected Puritan’s harsh Calvinistic views. -
First Great Awakening
This started with German migrants carried pietism over to america and then a pietest movement sparked in new england within the media(newspapers). George Whitfield traveled across America to give sermons that were dramatic and got peoples attention. -
Voluntarism
After debate over church and state ‘voluntarism’ was a term that came to use that meant the funding of churches by their own members. This allowed for laity to control the clergy and keeping self government. -
Black Christianity
A type of Protestantism that was created by Christian slaves in the Chesapeake and spread to the Cotton South as a result of the domestic slave trade. It emphasized the evangelical message of emotional conversion, ritual baptism, communal spirituality, and the idea that all people, even black, were children of God. -
Second Great Awakening
A huge religious revival that spread throughout the nation between 1790 and 1850 that sparked a push for reform movements. Numbers in church attendance increased dramatically in Baptist and Methodist churches. The revivals attracted women, Blacks, and Native Americans. It also had an effect on moral movements such as prison reform, the temperance movement, and moral reasoning against slavery. -
Church Denominational Growth
After Americans gained independence, they were excited to embrace self government without a demanding higher power over them constantly. As a result of this republican spirit Americans strayed away from the Catholic church and became increasingly attracted to denominations like Baptist and Methodist congregations. -
Rev. Richard Allen
A reverend who brought together a number of break-away African-American church members to found the African Methodist Episcopal Church. -
Women in Religion
Women began heading up charitable organizations and religious philanthropies. As women became more involved in the church, ministers decided to begin mixed-sex church meetings and prayer. Along with the increase in involvement came the eventual backlash of men trying to limit their power by restricting them from voting in the church or giving testimonies. -
Five Socities
1815 American Education Society
The Bible Society (1816
The Sunday School Union (1824),
The Tract Society 1825
The Home Missionary Society 1826 Based in eastern cities(New York, Boston, and Philadelphia) these five societies dispatched hundreds of missionaries to the West and distributed thousands of religious pamphlets. -
Mormonism/ Joseph Smith
The religion of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by Joseph Smith in 1830. Smith published The Book of Mormon, a religious text used by all mormons even in present day. The introduction of Mormonism caused conflict because of its controlling tendencies and close-knit communities. -
Mother Ann and the Shakers
The Shakers were a new religious movement founded by Ann Lee Stanley originally in Britain and then moving to America to expand the religion.The name "The Shakers" was based on their ecstatic dances that were a part of their worship. The Shakers believed that God had a male and female component. Furthermore, they believed that Ann Lee was the female component. -
Transcendentalism/Ralph Waldo Emerson
An intellectual movement that claimed the importance of an ideal world of mystical knowledge and harmony beyond the human senses. Transcendentalist leaders Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau called for the critical examination of society and emphasized individuality, self-reliance, and nonconformity. -
Mormons to Utah
After Smith’s death from an outbreak of an angry mob, mormon leader Brigham Young led many followers of Mormonism to lands in present-day Utah where they lived together practicing their religion as they pleased. -
Evangelical Abolitionism
Instead of violence, a group of evangelical Christians from the north launched a campaign to end slavery. They went on the radical basis that if the southern planters didn’t allow African Americans their God-given rights, they would be sent to hell and have to face God’s fury. -
APA/Ku Klux Klan
A large political organization of militant Protestants that were anti-Catholic and anti-immigrant. This prejudice towards immigrants especially those who were Catholic likely resulted from Protestants feeling threatened because of the influx of immigrants in the workforce. -
Ghost Dance Movement
A Native American/Indian movement that pushed for a return to traditional ways of Indian life that also challenged the white dominating society. -
Social Gospel
A movement to renew religious faith through dedication to public welfare and social justice, reforming both society and one’s self through Christian services. This movement was spurred by urban protestants seeking out immigrants and evangelicalizing. -
Protestant Foreign Missions
A new wave of charity came into play when transportation technology advanced. Missionaries went overseas in places like Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Many of the people who went over there were married couples or single women. As a part of the mission they provided food, education, and medical care to those in need. -
Religion and the Middle Class
As a result of the rising scare of Communism, more and more Americans joined Protestant churches and condemned those who did not, fearing they were communists. -
Billy Graham
A young preacher who used the rise in media technology to his advantage and toured around the country giving enthralling speeches with energy that excited a crowd. His message especially appealed to the middle class and was meant to be relatable for all Americans. -
Fourth Great Awakening
Evangelicalism was becoming more popular in Protestant churches where they emphasized being “born again”. They shifted focus to a literal interpretation of the bible and took it seriously. From this more smaller protestant schools began to appear in college and elementary education.