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Old 12-02-2002, 11:03 PM   #6
antryg
Fzoul Chembryl
 

Join Date: August 30, 2002
Location: Dallas, Tx.
Age: 22
Posts: 1,765
While the Great Awakening wasn't a Cause of the Revolutionary War it was one of the things which made it possible. The American colonies all had strong religious feelings which bound them together as a society. Being a British "possesion" the Church of England had the major moral/religious voice in America. A major influence within the Church of England were the Methodist society's which were led by John Wesley. John Wesley when contacted by Methodist in the colonies finally decided that if the colonies did separate from England that the Methodist Socieities would have ordained clergy and would form a new church, separate from the Church of England. These Methodist societies and their circuit riders were the major source of religious services and instruction in the frontier areas of the colonies as well as being strong in the established and "civilized" areas. With this assurance of "God's" support and continuity of their religious life a major stumbling block to freedom from England was overcome.

I don't have the books to cite for this. Some of it is found in Attenboroughs History of the US. Other sources would be biographies of John Wesley and of the early circuit riders.
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