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Difficulty: EasyColonial Society, Culture, and Politics

"Now it pleased God to send a Mr. Whitefield into this land; and my hearing of his preaching at Philadelphia, like a low sound of the common rumor of the revolution, now he was coming to New England... I was in my field at work... when I heard a man coming posthaste... he said Mr. Whitefield is to preach at Middletown this morning... I run to my pasture for my horse... and we went out on the road and saw a cloud of dust... it was all of horses and riders, and they came like a steady stream... We went on and when we came to Middletown... there was a very great multitude of people... I saw Mr. Whitefield... and my hearing him preach gave me a heart wound; and all my old foundation was broken up, and I saw that my righteousness would not save me."

— Nathan Cole, Connecticut farmer, describing his experience in 1740

The events described in the excerpt most directly reflect which of the following colonial developments?

  1. A
    The establishment of large-scale tobacco plantations in Virginia and Maryland using family-based labor systems
  2. The spread of a Protestant evangelical revival emphasizing individual religious experienceAnswer
  3. C
    The passage of the Navigation Acts to strengthen the economic wealth and control of the British Empire
  4. D
    The shift from reliance on temporary indentured servants to permanent chattel slavery in the southern colonies

Answer

The spread of a Protestant evangelical revival emphasizing individual religious experience
The preaching of George Whitefield and the emotional reaction of the audience are classic hallmarks of the First Great Awakening. This transatlantic religious revival swept through the American colonies in the 1730s and 1740s, emphasizing personal salvation, evangelical fervor, and individual spiritual experience over traditional church hierarchy and doctrine.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the key historical figure and setting described in the stimulus.
Nathan Cole describes traveling to hear George Whitefield, a prominent traveling open-air preacher of the 1740s.
Recognizing the major figures of the era helps locate the historical context of the passage.
2
Connect the details of the sermon to the broader cultural and religious climate of Period 2.
The emotional reaction, the seeking of salvation, and the breaking down of 'old foundations' point directly to the First Great Awakening.
Linking specific textual clues like spiritual rebirth and mass gatherings defines the event's character.
3
Select the historical development that matches these characteristics.
The First Great Awakening was a Protestant evangelical revival that swept the British colonies, emphasizing personal faith and emotional conversion.
Matching the core features of the Great Awakening to the correct option provides the final solution.

Key Concept

The First Great Awakening and its impact on colonial religious and social life.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Colonial Society, Culture, and Politics

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