Joseph Tracy (1793-1874) was an American Congregationalist minister. His careful research draws together all the available contemporary sources to give a fascinating insight into the events surrounding the awakening that took place throughout New England in the eighteenth century. The immense roles played by Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield are inevitably prominent, but all the other characters and the parts they played are also featured. It is estimated that between twenty-five and fifty thousand were converted during this period, from the local revivals in the 1730’s through the more extensive and widespread blessing of the early 1740’s and beyond. Tracy does not shirk the need to examine the aberrations and excesses that marked the revival in some parts, nor the controversies that raged between the friends and foes of the revival. From these, important lessons may be learned even now by all those looking for significant blessing on their ministries.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

In the early eighteenth century a great religious awakening swept through America. This evangelical movement left a permanent impact on American Protestantism that is still visible today. No longer would Christianity be dominated by ritual, ceremony and hierarchy, instead it would become a much more personal religion. It gave average people the means to develop an individual sense of spiritual conviction and encouraged men and women across the colonies to study their own relationships with God and commit themselves to a new standard of Christian morality. Preachers traveled great distances to spread their evangelical message and to be heard by new audiences. Two of the most prominent leaders of the Great Awakening were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Together they forged a new form of evangelical Christianity that could be understood by the masses and came to epitomize religion in America. Joseph Tracy's brilliant study of this period and the religious revival that took place uncovers how figures such as Whitefield and Edwards changed the shape of American religion forever. The Great Awakening is essential reading for anyone interested in eighteenth century colonial America and the religious revival that took hold of it. Joseph Tracy was a Protestant minister, newspaper editor, historian and leading figure in the American Colonization Society. Many scholars believe Tracy's work The Great Awakening to be the seminal work on religious revival in eighteenth-century America. His book was published in 1842 and he passed away in 1874.

The Awakening's biggest significance was the way it prepared America for its War of Independence. In the decades before the war, revivalism taught people that they could be bold when confronting religious authority, and that when churches weren't living up to the believers' expectations, the people could break off and form new ones.This evangelical movement left a permanent impact on American Protestantism that is still visible today.No longer would Christianity be dominated by ritual, ceremony and hierarchy, instead it would become a much more personal religion. It gave average people the means to develop an individual sense of spiritual conviction and encouraged men and women across the colonies to study their own relationships with God and commit themselves to a new standard of Christian morality.Preachers travelled great distances to spread their evangelical message and to be heard by new audiences. Two of the most prominent leaders of the Great Awakening were Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield. Together they forged a new form of evangelical Christianity that could be understood by the masses and came to epitomize religion in America.Joseph Tracy's brilliant study of this period and the religious revival that took place uncovers how figures such as Whitefield and Edwards changed the shape of American religion forever.The Great Awakening is essential reading for anyone interested in eighteenth century colonial America and the religious revival that took hold of it.Joseph Tracy was a Protestant minister, newspaper editor, historian and leading figure in the American Colonization Society. Many scholars believe Tracy's work The Great Awakening to be the seminal work on religious revival in eighteenth-century America. His book was published in 1842 and he passed away in 1874

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.