History of the Christian Church in America
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As we have studied American history, we have noticed a drastic change in the attitude toward the religious history of America. Sadly, we have seriously neglected the religious aspect of 18th and 19th century life. As we have rewritten the history of the exploration and settlement of this country over the last three decades, it now appears that religion had little effect on the lives of our forefathers.
But let us consider the following:
Concerning the Great Awakening, one writer states:
'In the old country and the colonies, it was as if the people had been looking for something and suddenly found it. True, there were strange and emotional expressions and even odd and extreme physical manifestations on the part of believers--men fell to the ground and wept--women cried aloud--young people were emotionally excited. But those same manifestations were present everywhere in the Wesley movement in England. People who religiously were emotionally starved suddenly let go. But despite the physical and emotional manifestations the movement was real (emphasis mine). It saved England from the Continental excesses of the French Revolution; it gave the colonists a new faith, a new understanding of the practical and personal meaning of Christianity, without which the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution never would have happened.'
No less a person than John Adams, our second President, claimed that the real American Revolution was not the war of 1775-1782. That was but the final conflict. He stated the real Revolution was the change that was wrought in the hearts and minds of men, beginning with the Great Awakening of 1740-1742. Thundered from dozens, even hundreds, of Presbyterian and Congregationalist pulpits was the unheard of idea that if a man was individually responsible to answer to an Almighty God for his personal salvation, then he must also be individually endowed by that Creator with certain rights and liberties, irrespective of what prince sat on a throne an ocean away.
The motto placed on printing presses of the day was, 'We have no king but Jesus'.
The largest gathering of people west of the mountains until the 1820's occurred at the Cane Ridge camp meeting, Bourbon County, KY, in 1801. Estimates of the size of this camp vary widely, but the absolute lowest was 10,000! This was larger than the combined armies in most of the battles of the Revolution. Kentucky had a total population of about 200,000 at that time, so if the high estimate of 25,000 was correct, it would mean that one out of every eight residents of the entire state was at that camp meeting! It is known that people came from as far away as the Miami Valley, in Ohio. This was a rugged four or five day trip by wagon. They came, not to see a politician or an entertainer, but to hear the Gospel preached.
The first governor of Ohio, Dr. Edward Tiffin, was also a Methodist lay preacher.
Peter Cartwright, who was a circuit rider of the Methodist church for over fifty years in KY, TN, IN, IL, and OH, makes the following statement: "But hardly had the early emigrant pitched his tent, raised his temporary camp, or log cabin, when the early Methodist traveling preachers were there to preach to them the unsearchable riches of Christ."
As you can tell, religion was very much a part of the lives of our forefathers. True, there were the unbelievers and infidels, the drunkards, thieves, loose women, and other sorts of rough characters along the frontier. But they were far, far fewer than what is portrayed at our rendezvous' and frontier trade fairs.
| BUCKSKIN MINISTRIES FAMILY |
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Photo by Ava Francesca |
Pictured L-R: Top Row - Carla Humfleet, Rev. M. J. Longstreth, Wanda Longstreth, Carl Mullinix, Boni Tittle, Paul Walden Front Row - Rusty Humfleet, Ryan Humfleet, Josh Walden Missing from Photo: Kyle Bennett, Ginny Hizer, Wayne Hizer |
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This page last revised 6/1/03
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