George Whitefield was a preacher in the Great Awakening, an emotional Christian movement in the late 1730’s. He was very popular, his sermons inspired and changed people with his new ideas. According to Benjamin Franklin’s autobiography (Document A), Whitefield was a very persuasive speaker. Franklin attended one of his sermons about building an Orphan House in Georgia, something that Franklin did not support as he did want one built in Philadelphia instead. However, as Whitefield went on, Franklin felt compelled to give Whitefield all the money he had on him at the moment. This means that Whitefield changed and persuaded Franklin to change his mind. If Franklin changed his mind, then the tens of thousands that attended the sermon must’ve as well. In Nathan Cole’s personal journal (Document B), Whitefield gave an emotional, life-changing experience. Cole
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Henchman claimed that his preaching was a threat to Christianity because people were building new churches to worship the way they wanted, not the way he wanted. This means the Henchman, the “old light”, felt threatened by Whitefield’s ideas, the “new light”. It’s relevant because younger people tend to like and move towards new ideas, often leaving the old behind. But why was George Whitefield important? Why did it matter that he was popular? Well, the Great Awakening, inspired by Whitefield and others like him, was an important movement that may have been one of the events that sparked the need for independence in the colonists. The Great Awakening resulted in many different churches, increased tolerance in religious differences, reinforced democratic ideas, and the colonists realizing that if they could decide how to worship God, then they could decide how to govern themselves. All in all, the Great Awakening helped the colonists know how they wanted their government to be and that was influenced by a very popular George
Henchman claimed that his preaching was a threat to Christianity because people were building new churches to worship the way they wanted, not the way he wanted. This means the Henchman, the “old light”, felt threatened by Whitefield’s ideas, the “new light”. It’s relevant because younger people tend to like and move towards new ideas, often leaving the old behind. But why was George Whitefield important? Why did it matter that he was popular? Well, the Great Awakening, inspired by Whitefield and others like him, was an important movement that may have been one of the events that sparked the need for independence in the colonists. The Great Awakening resulted in many different churches, increased tolerance in religious differences, reinforced democratic ideas, and the colonists realizing that if they could decide how to worship God, then they could decide how to govern themselves. All in all, the Great Awakening helped the colonists know how they wanted their government to be and that was influenced by a very popular George