The Great Awakening: contributions to the separation of Church and State

The Great Awakening was an extremely large religious movement in American history. At this time (the early eighteenth century), many of the American churches were sagging under the effects of liberal ideas, such as free will, rather than predestiny, determined a man's eternal fate. To counter this, Jonathan Edwards, a preacher from Northampton, MA, proclaimed and affirmed the need for complete dependence on God's grace rather than good works. This started off a domino effect that led to the Great Awakening. In the end, the Great Awakening even contributed to the separation of church and state.

The GA contributed to the separation through the work of one itinerant English parson, George Whitefield. Whitefield had the amazing gift of speech that enthralled every individual who listened to his sermons. Through his speech, people began to have personalized religious experiences unique to themselves. Because of this, people began to view religion as something to be protected by the meddling of bureaucracy. With the protection from politics, the separation was beginning to occur.

Thanks to Jonathan Edwards, the revitalization of religion began through the GA. Thanks to George Whitefield, parishioners began having individual experiences. And thanks to the uniqueness of experiences, religion began to be protected from politics, causing the separation of Church and State.

Song 15

This song is called We Didn't Start the Fire.

The song talks about the many things, good and bad times (JFK, Ho Chi Minh, etc.), that have occurred since the beginning of Billy Joel's life. The meaning of the song lies in the fact that many people like to blame hardships other people. Particularly, the younger generations have been blamed for the hard times faced by older generations. This song is in response to those claims saying that "We (being the young) didn't start the fire (meaning cause the hard times)".

Song 14

This song is called The Hands that Built America.

The song talks of how far we have come, from the rolling plains to the factories, from the mountains to the skyscrapers. However, it also teaches us an important lesson to always remember. It teaches us that we did not build this nation by ourselves. Rather, other peoples had their input on the nation. From the English to the Africans, from the French to the Germans, from the Muslims to the Hindus, from the Sioux to the Japanese, everyone helped build America to the nation that it is today. Many people have forgotten that fact in today's society, but it is important to remember that we are a nation of and built by many other nations.

Song 13

This song is called The Times The Are A-Changin'

This song explains to me that even though many don't attempt it, times are changing all around the world. Technology is getting better; products are getting cheaper; people are getting older;etc. The moral of the song is that if you are too old to do something, don't attempt to help or you will just block the path. In America's past, one used to look forward to their parents for assistance and advice, but now the young are becoming more capable and society is teaching them to be more self-sustaining than before. Times are changing, no ifs, ors, or buts.

Song 12

This song is called Youngstown.

The setting is the 1970s in a city called Youngstown, which provided factories to make cannonballs for the Union army. Youngstown, apparently, is still in production of weaponry to assist in the fighting in WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. After a tour in Vietnam, the narrator came home to work in this place; however, Vietnam showed him enough death and destruction for the rest of his life. The history of America has been very bloody and the song makes the point that war is not the way to go to make peace. I happen to agree with this statement. America should focus on diplomatic efforts to make longstanding solutions rather than bomb the population into submission for a short-term cease-fire.

Song 11

This song is called A Change is Gonna Come

The song talks of a man who was born by a river in a tent. He has been moving from place to place. He has had a hard life getting to where he is right now. However, he is looking forward for a time when things will be different and life will be easier for him. Once again, many hard times have occurred in the history of America; particularly, the life that the Pilgrims had when they arrived in the New World and the time that the African slaves had on the plantations. However, they looked forward to a time when things would be different. The Pilgrims were looking forward to a time of economic success and religious freedom. The African slaves were looking forward to a time when they would be free and accepted in society.

Song 10

This song is called Strange Fruit.

The sound of the song has the feeling of the early to mid 1920s. The song mentions strange fruit hanging from the trees with "blood on the leaves" in the south. It also mentions "burning flesh". My guess is that this song is referring to the time of a killing of an African American in the south (strange fruit), most likely by hanging or lynching (hanging from the trees). Without going on much further, I will say that this song absolutely disgusts me in how they view African Americans at the time.

Song 9

This song is called Do Re Me.

The song talks about the state of California. Particularly, California is not the place that many people believe it to be. It states that to be able to like living in California, one needs the right attitude (the right Do Re Me). For those who have the right attitude, it is a paradise, but for those who don't, they might as well go back to their old home. I believe that one has to find the right place for them and that California may not be that place. I believe that one needs to search for the right place rather than following what they immediately hear on the media.

Song 8

This song is called Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ is talked about in this song. Particularly that he preached to everyone; workers, preachers, and soldiers alike. It talks about how the working class followed him, but the upper class didn't, "so they laid Jesus Christ in his grave". In the end it talks about what it would be like if Jesus preached in New York City like he did in Galilee; according to the song, "they would lay Jesus Christ in his grave". Probably the reason why was because this song was made in the 20th century, a time when communism/socialism was shunned, and Jesus preached very socialistic ideals such as "giving your money to the poor".

Song 7

This song is called Patty's Lament.

This song appears to be sung by an Irishwoman. It tells of the woman leaving Ireland, leaving her family and children behind, going for America and looking for a better life. However, she finds that the civil war was going on ("...fight for Lincoln"). This particular song catches my attention, perhaps because of the Irish accent that I really like, but probably because it shows a view of America that many don't see often. It's view is that America is a place of nothing but war and suffering and that one would look forward to returning to their homeland.

Song 6

This song is called Hard times come again no more.

The song looks back on the hard times that were experienced, but it also looks forward to the good times that are ahead. There are many instances in American history where this has happened. Particularly, the Pilgrims encountered many hard times in their life in America, but they looked to God to look down on them and assist them. Furthermore, many African slaves looked upon the hard times that they went through, but they also looked ahead for a time when there would be no more slavery and they looked ahead with hope. I believe that this song conveys a truth in that many hard times have fallen on many people, but each of us, as individuals and as a whole, have been able to pull ourselves out of the hole that we fell into.

Song 5

This song is called Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier.

The song tells of a lover whose love, by the name of Johnny, has gone off to become a soldier. This refers to how the men from the colonies left their wife and family at home in order to fight for freedom in the American Revolution. What this song can teach us is about the Revolutionary War and the life of those whose sons and fathers joined the resistance to fight the British. The impact was very hard on those who they left behind, both socially and economically (the men of the family were the ones who worked the jobs while the females typically stayed at home tending to the kids).

Song 4

This song is called Brave Wolfe

This is the first song of the group to use horns and stringed instruments, such as seen in European music at the time. This song was based on a traditional ballet that tells the tale of the heroic British General James Wolfe, who died from wounds recieved before the Siege of Quebec in 1759, through the use of increasing tempo and instruments. This song teaches us about conflicts that occurred between powerful rivals (Britian vs. France) before the Revolution.

Song 3

This song is called Shaman's Call

Once again, the use of music was normal and even necessary during the everyday life of a Native American. Another instrument that was used, apart from drums and bells, were flutes, such as the one heard here. Instruments were used also used for medicinal purposes and healing rituals. I, personally, can see why the natives believed this since this song is very soothing and makes one feel at peace with everything else.

Song 2

The second song is Apache Indian Drums.

The Drums used by the Apaches, a Native American group of people, and other tribes were used for festivities and as a means of communicating with one another. As this song is incorporating the drums with other instruments, such as bells, it is fair to assume that this song was meant for a festive manner. This shows how music was a normal part of everyday life for Native Americans.

Song 1

The first song is called Anon: Virgen Madre De Dios.

Although I cannot read or understand Spanish, I recognize the words Virgen Madre to look like "Virgin Mother". Therefore, I believe that this song is supposed to be about the Virgin Mother. After some research, I figured out that the phrase means "Anon, Virgin Mother of God". However, the song is supposed to be around the time period of the 15th century, before European settlement. Therefore, I believe that this chant was written by the "Praying Indians", a group of Natives that were converted to Christianity during the time of the conquistadors. This song represents the movement of Christianity through the pre-European America.

Questions from Mayflower

1. Since the Pilgrims were from England, they had some "modern" technology at their disposal (muskets, etc.) as well as a military leader (Miles Standish). These traits helped them survive through some of the harsh events of the New World, such as Indian attacks. However, these tools later hindered them when the Native Americans upgraded from bows and arrows to flintlock muskets (which were more advanced then the Pilgrims' matchlocks). Furthermore, much of the experience that they had was in tailoring and shoemaking rather than in establishing settlements, making it exceptionally difficult to make a permanent home in the New World.

3. Many of the stories of the Pilgrim settlers have been changed overtime (such as the story of the first thanksgiving). Many reasons exist for why America has changed the story to be misleading. One such reason is that as time goes on, many distortions from the original meaning get added into the story and is then passed down to further generations. Furthermore, Americans would attempt to make the story more "kid-friendly" for their children, distorting the original story.

4. King Philip's War occurred between the Native Americans in the region and the New Englanders. The tradition of peaceful coexistence with the Native Americans fell apart mainly due to the New Englander's pursuit of economic prosperity at the expense of the Indians and due to their ignorance of the agreement to help one another through their hard times. One way this conflict could have been avoided would be by giving assistance to the Native Americans and honoring the treaty which was ignored.

5. Squanto was the interpreter for the New Englander's when they arrived to the New World. It was through him that the Native American sachem Massasoit communicated through. Squanto, therefore, had a strength in that he could influence the position between the Native Americans and the New Englanders. Using this strength, he could put a plan into action to make himself powerful, as shown by the false raid on Nemasket.

6. Much of the life that the Pilgrims had was very religious, and they continued that tradition in the New World. However, as time went on, the next generation of Pilgrims became more conscience of material possessions rather than the spiritual life. This was against the traditions set forth by the first settlers and was, therefore, looked down upon.

8. In modern culture, many native americans are portrayed as vicious savages that wear feathers and loincloths and that use bows and arrows. However, the Mayflower shows them to be trusted allies of the Pilgrims with more modern technology than bows and arrows. While this difference appears true for many cultural representations (i.e. Hollywood movies), there are some other, more accurate portrayals of the Native Americans in the stories of the first Thanksgiving.

9. There are several very important people in King Philip's War. One person, however, stands out as being a turning point in the war. This person is known as Benjamin Church. He made an army of both Native American and English troops, which was different since all Native Americans were outcasts or in slavery during the war. Using their techniques, Church and his men moved across enemy territory, taking many Native Americans by surprise, and captured Philip, ending the war.

10. Many tribes of Native Americans existed in the area, from the Pokanokets to the Narragansetts. In King Philip's War, a common misperception was that the Native Americans started off as a unified whole in their cultural identity. Rather, there were many cultural beliefs that are different among the various tribes. Therefore, unifying the various tribes under one flag and keeping it that way would be a major political and cultural undertaking. Even then, the line connecting each tribe would be a fragile line that could be broken easily.

11. Many Native Americans sided with the English during the war. My personal view on the matter is that the Native Americans joining the English may have a variety of reasons for joining against other tribes, whether it be because of treachery, opportunity, sensibility, or a combination of them. However, if considering my position, I would most likely join the Native Americans in the fight against the English due to sensibility (Larger numbers and better technology).

12. During the war, both sides made very immoral decisions, such as torturing victims, killing and decapitating prisoners, and, in the case of the English, selling other prisoners into slavery. Therefore, neither side can make any claim to being morally superior over the other. This is because neither side had any reason to do what they were doing to each other.

15. Philbrick focuses heavily on moral issues throughout the book. A moral lesson that can be learned from this story is not to use others' suffering to become more successful as they may retaliate in a very surprising way. This is shown by how the English got economic success by buying land and selling goods at the Native Americans' expense, which is one of the reasons which started the war.

Introduction

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