The Great Awakening Lesson Plan: African-American Churches and Abolition
By Donna Hendry

Overview

The Great Awakening of the late 1700s changed many things in American Society. It pulled communities that were drifting apart back together and introduced new concepts that up until then were not common. These concepts included a belief in the equality of all at Jesus' feet. This translated into the abolitionist movement of the North. At the same time, the movement itself moved through the South, which had been prominently non-practicing Anglican. African slaves for the first time were allowed to hear sermons, which helped bring their community together. In this lesson, students study the Great Awakening through slave narratives and biographies.

National Curriculum Standards met by this lesson

For a list of standards that this unit addresses, click here.

Time Required

Three class periods.

Materials

Narratives and Biographies below:

• Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave:
  http://www.americanliterature.com/NARR/NARRINDX.HTML (or the paperback version)


• Samuel Davies:
  http://etc.princeton.edu/CampusWWW/Companion/davies_samuel.html


• Shubal Stearns:
  http://sightlerpublications.com/Baptisthistory/Separate%20Baptist.html


• Devereux Jarratt:
  http://www.swarthmore.edu/SocSci/bdorsey1/41docs/60-jar.html


• Harry Hosier:
  http://www.gcah.org/BulletinInserts/BI_Hosier.htm


• Jonathan Edwards:
  http://www.ccel.org/e/edwards/edwards.html


• Lewis Craig:
  http://kdl.kyvl.org/cgi/t/text/text-idx?c=kyetexts;cc=kyetexts;xc=1&idno=B92-70-27082891&view=toc


• Andrew Bryan:
  http://www.oldestblackchurch.org/html/a.bryan.htm


• John Jea:
  http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/jeajohn/jeajohn.html (scroll down to have students read pages 57-60)


• Francis Asbury:
  http://www.virginia.edu/history/courses/courses.old/hius323/asbury.html


• George Liele:
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p49.html


• David George:
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part2/2p61.html


• "Marks of a true Conversion", Sermons by George Whitefield:
  http://www.reformed.org/documents/Whitefield/WITF_023.html


• Great Awakening Lecture:
  http://www.wfu.edu/~matthetl/perspectives/four.html

The Lesson

Anticipatory Set

Have students read the final chapter in Narrative Of The Life Of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave. Have students brainstorm these questions:

• What were Douglass's concerns (freedom, family)?
• How did he feel he should be treated?
• Now that Douglass is free, do we want to know what happens to him?
• Do we learn what happens to slaves once they escaped? Why not?

Procedures

1. Introduction lesson:
   1. Students should have some background in the Great Awakening. If not, share the following lecture with them:
      http://www.wfu.edu/~matthetl/perspectives/four.html .
   
   
   2. Have students pay close attention to #4 of "Some Results of the Great Awakening:"

      A greater sense of responsibility for Indians and Slaves emerged from the revival. George Whitefield, for instance, was among the first to preach to Blacks. The evangelical experience was common to both whites and blacks, making both aware that the ground [was] level at foot of cross. This led most evangelicals to denounce slavery as sinful, and at the first General Conference of Methodism, slave holding was viewed as grounds for immediate expulsion from the society."

   3. In groups, have students answer the questions in the study guide handout.
   
   
   4. After having the students discuss their answers, have them write out questions that their discussion brought up.
   
   
2. Primary lesson:
   1. Pair students and instruct each pair to read the excerpts about one of the following figures:
      
      
      • Samuel Davies
      • Shubal Stearns
      • Devereux Jarratt
      • Harry Hosier
      • Jonathan Edwards
      • Lewis Craig
      • Andrew Bryan
      • John Jea
      • Francis Asbury
      • George Liele
      • David George
   
   
   2. Tell students that these figures all have something to do with either the Great Awakening itself, or its effect on African Americans. Use the research sheet to guide students in what they need to learn. Let students know they may look for other resources if they are curious. Have each pair report to the class their findings.
   
   
   3. Have the class compare the different figures. What were their similarities? Their differences?
   
   
   4. Then, ask students: "What does this tell us about abolition as a movement?"

Follow-up activities

1. Have students read George Whitefield's sermon, "Marks of a true Conversion." Ask them to compare the rhythm, theme, and message to that of the Slave Narrative. What characteristics do they share? What makes them different?


2. Many slaveholders would use the biblical reference of the "Mark of Cain"--the African slaves' blackness--as religious support for their enslaving the African American. Have students look at this with the new knowledge they have of the Great Awakening. If a southern Methodist and a plantation owner were to debate, who do they think would win? Why?

Additional Internet Resources

• http://www.slaveryinamerica.org/narratives/overview.htm
• http://www.reformedreader.org/history/negrobaptistchurches.htm
• http://www.ipl.org/div/timeline
• http://www.oldestblackchurch.org/html/history.htm

This lesson was submitted by Donna Hendry, a teacher in Willimantic, Connecticut.

The Great Awakening Lesson: African-American Churches and Abolition

Handout One: African Americans and the Great Awakening Study Guide

Name: ___________________ Date: ___________

1. What about Christianity would attract African slaves?

 

 

 

2. Why would slaveholders allow slaves to hear sermons?

 

 

 

3. What do Slave Narratives and the Great Awakening movement have in common?

 

 

 

4. What does the Great Awakening have to do with Abolition?

 

 

 

5. What questions do these facts bring up?

    

    

    

Handout Two: African Americans and the Great Awakening Research Sheet

Names: ______________________________________________

1. Your historical figure: ____________________________________

 

 

 

2. What was his time period? ____________________________

 

 

 

3. What race was he? ______________________________________

 

 

 

4. What was his original job/career? __________________________

 

 

 

5. What was his final job/career? ____________________________

 

 

 

6. Did he face persecution for his religious beliefs? ______________

 

 

 

7. How or why? _________________________________________

 

 

 

8. For what is he remembered? _____________________________

 

 

 

9. Was there anything special about him that you would like to share

with the class not mentioned in the discussion? _______________

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

 

 

 

10. Why do you think no women were included in this study? ______

    ___________________________________________________