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Difficulty: EasyThe Second Great Awakening and Social Reform

Every Christian is under obligation to exert his influence to the utmost to banish all forms of vice and sin from the community. The church cannot remain indifferent to the evils of intemperance, the desecration of the Sabbath, or the oppression of our fellow men. To refuse to act is to oppose the progress of Christ's kingdom on earth. True conversion must lead to active labor in the cause of moral reform, purifying our social institutions and preparing the nation for a reign of righteousness.
—Adapted from a sermon on Christian responsibility, 1833

Which of the following best describes the relationship between the Second Great Awakening and the reform movements of the early nineteenth century?

  1. A
    The federal government established and funded these organizations as part of a nationwide social safety net.
  2. Religious revivals inspired individuals to improve society by linking personal salvation with moral reform efforts.Answer
  3. C
    Reform movements were created by workers who sought to reject the market revolution and restore colonial mercantilism.
  4. D
    Supreme Court decisions under John Marshall forced state governments to establish religious-based social reform programs.

Answer

Religious revivals inspired individuals to improve society by linking personal salvation with moral reform efforts.
The Second Great Awakening fostered a belief in human perfectibility and Christian social duty, leading converts to view moral reform as an essential part of their faith. This religious impulse directly powered movements such as temperance, education reform, and abolitionism.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus passage.
The text is an 1833 sermon calling on Christians to actively combat societal evils (like intemperance and oppression) as an expression of true conversion and faith.
Understanding the source's main argument is necessary to connect it to broader historical trends.
2
Identify the historical context of the stimulus.
The sermon belongs to the era of the Second Great Awakening, a period of religious revivals that emphasized human perfectibility and moral action.
Placing the source in its correct historical context helps determine the correct historical cause-and-effect relationship.
3
Select the option that best describes how these religious ideas shaped social reform.
The option stating that religious revivals inspired individuals to improve society by linking personal salvation with moral reform efforts correctly reflects the message of the sermon and the history of the period.
This option directly connects the religious conversion mentioned in the source to the growth of voluntary reform movements.

Key Concept

The influence of the Second Great Awakening on early nineteenth-century social reform movements.
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Topics

The Second Great Awakening and Social Reform

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