The Great Awakening of 1735-1745 was a reaction to a decline in piety and a carelessness of morals within the Congregational Churches of New England. Although the Great Awakening stimulated dramatic conversions and an increase in church membership, it also provoked conflicts and divisions within the established church. This striking revival of religious piety and its emphasis on salvation ultimately transformed the religious order of Connecticut. The decline in piety among the second generation of Puritans, which stemmed from economic changes, political transformations, and Enlightenment rationalism, was the primary cause of the Great Awakening.
During the eighteenth century, political uncertainty and economic instability characterized colonial life and diverted devout Puritans from religious obligations.
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