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The First Great Awakening
This date is considered to be the beginning of a powerful religious movement that had a profound impact on the formation of American Protestantism. The strongest movement took place in New England, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Virginia. As a result of this movement, Christianity became more personal and developed a connection between the church and the individual. A wave of preachers like Jonathan Edwards emerged at this period and played a key role in the social development of the colonies. -
The Completion of Christ Church in Philadelphia
The growing religious consciousness led to various profound changes in the society. People paid more attention to the construction of churches. Although it was the first parish of the Church of England in Pennsylvania, its renown came from the members of its congregation which included George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and other members of the continental congress. It also signified that the communities became more prosperous and funds could be allocated for such projects. -
Famous Sermon of Peter Muhlenberg in Woodstock
At the end of his inspiring speech about the role of Christianity in the fight for freedom and justice, the preacher took off his clerical clothes to show the congregation that he had the uniform of a Virginia militia officer underneath. Before, religion was used to unify the citizens of the colonies towards a common goal of thriving and surviving. This event shows the change of religion in the society to a unification for America's military movement for freedom. -
James Caldwell Helping the Soldiers during the Battle of Springfield
During this battle that took place in New Jersey, a Presbyterian minister named James Caldwell suddenly saw that the soldiers had used all the wadding paper that was supposed to hold the powder in the wooden barrels. Upon seeing this, he ran into his church that was located nearby and brought hymnals to use for this purpose. Although it is only a small act, this event again shows the entangling of religion and the military fight for freedom. -
The Beginning of the Methodist Episcopal Church
The beginning of the Methodism in the colonies took place under the auspice of John Wesley. In 1784, his establishment of the Methodist Episcopal Church within the colonies was the one of the major splits from the Anglican church. Because of the severed ties between the Anglican church in England and the colonies, John Wesley took it upon himself to ordain ministers the right to administer sacraments. He was not qualified to do so in the eyes of the Anglican Church and the split ensued. -
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution
Continuing along the lines of freedom from its oppressors, the writers of the Bill of Rights want all to understand that there will be no establishment of a certain religion for the country that must be adopted nor any prohibition from practicing any other religion. This is no longer a regional or geographical issue, it is the law of the land. As opposed to what they had just gone through with the Anglican Church and England, the United States will be different.
