Assess the extent to which the great awakening, an intensely religious mass movement, contributed to the breaking down of sectional boundaries, promoted religious pluralism, and facilitated a sense among americans that they were a single people, united by a common history and shared social and cultural experiences.

The Great Awakening (or Evangelical Revival) was a series of Christian revivals that took place in Britain and the Thirteen colonies in the 1730s and 1740s.

1. It contributed to the breakdown of sectional boundaries because of its emphasis of religion in private life. Groups that had lacked autonomy, such as women, engaged in introspection and formed a cohesive view of themselves in society. Similarly, Black Africans (some free, some slaves) were allowed to participate in elements of social life for the first time.

2. The Awakening promoted religious pluralism because people were encouraged to live their religious life in all aspects of their lives. It became an emotional affair. It also involved religious actors from various backgrounds, most notably, Calvinism and Puritanism.

3. The revival also instilled a sense of unity among Americans, who realized that they had an identity that was distinct to that of Europeans. The evangelical movement highlighted those differences and encouraged them to look for attitudes and practices that worked better for them. Prof. Alan Heimert argues that the Great Awakening had an enormous influence on the American Revolution.