Running head: 19TH-CENTURY IDEAS

19th-Centuary Ideas

19th-Century Ideas
Of all the movements in the 19th Century the one that took the most effect was the Second Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening started the path towards the United States facing some of the most momentous and controversial issues that they would face in the next 200 years. These issues were racism, women's rights, and the rights of workers. This movement was created by the new middle class of that time. The movement advocated the idea of a more caring people, to have more consideration for human life, and it also promoted religion.
In the Second Great Awakening the people believed that they could reach salvation by doing good works and working hard. The belief was that humans could choose to do good or evil and if they choose to do good then there would be no more sin. People had to put them self into action during this movement. It seems everyone was looking for a religion at the time. The Christian word became very popular with women and the African Americans, it gave the idea of salvation. This movement had a huge impact on the United States history. Two religions grew to be the two largest churches in the United States by reforming their traditions, which was the Methodist and the Baptist. It is a thought that this movement helped to bring about some economic stability and security, because the successful new middle class interest in religion came from the economics.
In my mind there is not modern movement that can even begin to be the equivalent of the Second Great Awakening. This is because all the more modern movements that could rival this movement stemmed from this movement, such as slavery freedom, racism, women's rights, etc. It is not fair to compare those movements to this movement, being those movements would not have gotten off the ground if not for the Second Great Awakening.
When it comes to ideas and beliefs centered around religions and people's rights, they will always be somewhat relevant. This is because this is beliefs or ideas that are taught and passed down from generation to generation. For example in some places it is still a popular belief that doing good works and working hard are important to your salvation. Plus all the movements that this one started that are still talked about today.