<p>I need help! I have done terribly on my last few AP History Essays and I need some help in correcting it/making it better.</p>
<p>Topic: How did the Great Awakening and the Enlightement influence colonial American intellectual and religious life, and colonial life generally? What were the possible political ramifications? Discuss, especially, Benjamin Franklin and George Whitefield.</p>
<p>All opinions will be greatly appreciated!</p>
<pre><code> The Great Awakening and the Enlightenment
In the 18th century, America experienced the Age of Enlightenment, and new thoughts began to replace old traditions. At the same time, colonists saw a period of religious revival. The Great Awakening, the religious revival, in combination with the Enlightenment greatly impacts on American intellect, religion, and politics.
Many colonists lives improved as a result of the Enlightenment. Prior to the 1700s, many lacked a proper education; however, as the Enlightenment swept the country, literacy rates increased dramatically and colonists obtained the ability to sign documents, read about events across the world, and most importantly, make their own decisions. With their new knowledge, many colonists formed groups to discuss everything from philosophy to science; furthermore, these groups led to experimentation and invention, thus benefiting the overall lives of Americans. Ben Franklin, for example, discovered the properties of lightning with his famous kite flying experiment and in the process invented the lightning rod. American intellect greatly increased during this era and this newfound intelligence would also lead to other political changes.
American lives also changed religiously during the Great Awakening. Throughout this period, religious fervor spread throughout the colonies and ministers, such as George Whitefield, promoted the necessity for Americans to find salvation. Whitefield launched a tour that drastically increased the support of religion, sometimes even quadrupling believers. With this heightened interest, many new churches were formed such as Presbyterian and Baptist sects. Because of the increase in the number of divisions, the power of many established denominations, such as the Quakers, decreased, which inevitably led to a battle between the New and Old institutions. The war ultimately caused the Old and the New light to create higher level colleges, and led to George Whitefields blending of the Protestant denominations as he preached for Presbyterians while he was an Anglican. Finally, the Awakening gave women their first opportunity to express the right of speech and the right to vote. The Great Awakening led the way for many important changes in America.
Both the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening effected great change politically in America. Because so many colonists increased their knowledge, their ability to reason was greatly enhanced; this logic possibly caused many of the colonists to question Britains dominance, thus leading to the Revolutionary War and ultimately, Americas independence. In addition, the massive religious revival may have revealed the dangers of intermingling the church and the state; thus leading to their separation when the Constitution was finally ratified.
The Enlightenment and the Great Awakening had a huge influence on American history affecting religion, life, and politics. Men, such as Franklin and Whitefield, greatly helped spread the ideas of religion and logic. With their encouragement, the colonists began to formulate their own thoughts and opinions and forever changed the course of American history.
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