The Great Awakening was a religious revival in the mid to late eighteenth century that was a turning point for African American religion. During the 1730s in the western part of Massachusetts, two Congregationalist named Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield carried Christianity to the mainland colonies. Jonathan Edwards participated in getting more people in the church, while George Whitefield spoke sermons that appealed to emotions, he offered salvation to all who believed in Christ, whether they were black or white.
Before Whitefield arrived in North America, people of African descent had already converted to Christianity. But it came to a stop because most masters were scared that if slaves converted their religion that it would give the slaves some hope that they would be free or they would escape. Also many slaves continued to believe in their ancestral religions and were not attracted to Christianity.
But with the Great Awakening in process, not only did African Americans became Christians, they also influenced white religion. Africans and Christians had similar beliefs. Africans believed in ancestral gods, nature gods, and an almighty creator, while Christians believed in the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. .
The Great Awakening increase black awareness to religion in societies. All churches and religions welcomed black people and addressed them as brother and sister. Blacks took communion with white people, and served as church officers. By the late eighteenth century, black men became priests and minister even when they were slaves and preached to white congregations.
African Americans soon started developing their own churches because white churches seated black people far apart from white people. And black members took communion after white members. When African Americans churches were developed they danced, shouted, clapped, and singed. Funerals where usually loud and joyous occasions with dancing, laughing, and drinking because they believed the souls of the dead returned to their homeland and rejoined their ancestors.
