Please write a 500-600 word response on how the 2nd Great Awakening affected U.S. history.

The Second Great Awakening (1790s-1840s)  turned the United States of America into a land of the religious.  This country began to turn back towards religion as a focus and legitimate source of explanation.  In the New World, one’s web of relationships/sphere of influence included family, community and the local church.

In contrast to the highly populated and settled lands of Europe, America was able to offer greater physical mobility to its citizens, which in turn led to greater freedom in all aspects of life.  If, as a man, I did not see eye-to-eye with my father on eligible women or promising trades, I could leave my home community and find or start a new one with the wife of my choice, pursuing the vocation of my choice.  Similarly, if I felt threatened politically, I could up and leave again.

In my study of my family history, I have discovered just how mobile Americans were.  I used to believe that up until quite recently (with feebler ties to home and greater use of airplanes), those living in the United States of America, generally stayed put.  For the most part, they didn’t go to college, and if they did, it was not normally on the other side of the country, leading them to opportunities in that new region.  While this is true, I have tracked one particular family in my tree, which starts in Minnesota, from where its members branch out into North Dakota, California, Wyoming, Oregon, Washington (very few stayed put in their new state for long before moving to another and another).  This came as a great shock to my understanding of early American lifestyle, yet it makes sense with the Second Great Awakening.

The revivals of this period also contributed to the increase of movement among Americans.  Many wished to witness for themselves the religious revivals and would travel far distances to spend a weekend listening to preachers.  A great many Christian denominations arose from this Second Great Awakening.  Among them are the Restorationists, Millenialists, and  the Shakers, described below:

• Restorationists: believed in restoring the Christian Church as Christ had established it during his ministry on earth.  They aimed to eliminate post-apostalic additions.
• Millenialists: believed that Christ is coming soon and all should prepare.
• The Shakers: were officially called “The United Society of Believers in Christ’s second appearance.” They provided lots of freedom for women and believed everything one does is to be executed as a form of worship.  The Shakers are most known for their simple and classic furniture.

While the Second Great Awakening revolutionized America, I believe the “awakening” of individuals contributes just as much to the course of history of our country.

My second great awakening happened these past few weeks.  I’ve become rather disillusioned about school and life in generally, asking myself questions such as:

• Why do I bother sitting in a class and learning about the history of Latin America? What does it matter if I remember who Francisco Madero or Porfirio Diaz were and what they did?
• Why does my teacher bother trying to teach? What does it matter if he knows who Alberto Fujimori is or why he wanted to destroy the Sendero Luminso?  Why does he bother telling me about it?
• Does sitting in this classroom really making me a different, if not better, person?
• After a long day of running around from class to work to random appointments, what can I say I’ve accomplished?  It’s true, I feel more fulfilled when my days are filled, but does it truly matter? Are these stressful times forming my character?  When will I ever see the difference or change within myself?
• Why do I become so frustrated and flustered when I encounter a “very nice boy”? And why do I overanalyze and harshly critique my every word or action with said person?
• Why do I get so much pleasure out of talking with other people, even for a few small moments?  What good does that do?  What affect does that have on the grand scheme of my life?

Gradually, I am coming to answer these questions.  The latter two are the easiest—we need people to interact with so we can practice/demonstrate our knowledge of how to be a good person. Additionally, our relationships, though often superficial, at first, can eventually develop and provide great meaning and joy to our lives (even if they are small moments).  Our relationships make life rich.

This second great awakening of mine has impacted U.S. history because I am American and though what happens to me may not make it into a child’s textbook, it still adds to the sum of this country’s existence.   My thought processes and small victories contribute to how I interact with others.  And what is history, but the telling of a story between at least two people.

RANDOM SIDE NOTE: I have never appreciated a pencil sharpener or unlimited access to clean water before this semester.  Coming back from the Dominican Republic where those two items are not so easy to come by has produced this statement of gratitude. I will never forget the mornings I spent trying to sharpen 25 pencils with a tiny, very cheap pencil sharpener. The kids always fought over the most sharpened pencils and when they would come to me with broken tips, I would scramble to find another or attempt again to sharpen it.

Please write your thoughts and feelings on the Museum of Art’s exhibition: “Types and Shadows: Imitations of Divinity”.

I had never before noticed the fact that in “Lehi’s Journey to the Promised Land,” you can actually see the promised land.  I find that hardship is easier to bear when the end is in sight.  However, the French critic, Andre Gide, penned the adage,

“One doesn’t discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time.”

Indeed, the sight of new lands would not be as sweet if there were not some struggle to discover them.

I had two, hands-down favorite pieces in the “Types and Shadows” exhibition.  The cast iron piece with the figures of a boy and a man was particularly interesting to me.  I love how the artist created the very real sensation of a veil, which separated (though not completely) the two figures.  I found this particularly engaging because I am taking a Family History class and would like to think that there are people beyond the veil helping me to find their records.  There is a very powerful spirit to be felt when doing this research.

My other favorite piece was the “Prodigal Son” feast, which showed the same meal, but with different lenses, so to speak.  It was one continuous image of apples, grapes, etc., but a slice of the painting was painted with drab hues, as opposed to the life-like, vibrant ones of the rest of the painting.   It was fascinating to consider how the same experience/meal/class can differ so greatly, according to one’s perspective or outlook on life.  Sin can greatly decrease the richness visible to one’s eyes.  Also, some people find more beauty in trees than a waterfall.  Some (me) find immense enjoyment from the richness in color, as seen in the world around us.  To others, music speaks stronger than anything else and can illuminate a moment.

Unfortunately, our time at the museum was cut short, but I would like to go back and finish looking at the exhibit, as well as “Mirror, Mirror: Contemporary Portraits and the Fugitive Self.”

Please write your thoughts and reflections on the movie, The Amistad.

I thoroughly enjoyed this film.  I was most particularly impressed by certain quotes, as follow.

Cinque concerning his ancestors:

“At this moment, I am the whole reason they have existed at all.”

I love this quote because it speaks to the significance of this man’s experience in America.  Cinque’s ancestors lived because he needed to free his people and millions of others  like them.  Likewise, we can thank our ancestors and make their existences of greater worth by using all of the blessings gained by their decisions to do good and make good in the world around us, wherever that may be.  May we someday have the honor of saying, “at this moment, I am the whole reason they have existed at all.”

John Quincy Adams concerning Cinque:

“Now, if he were white, he wouldn’t be standing before this court fighting for his life. If he were white and his enslavers were British, he wouldn’t be standing, so heavy the weight of the medals and honors we would bestow upon him. Songs would be written about him. The great authors of our times would fill books about him. His story would be told and retold, in our classrooms.”

John Quincy Adams on man’s natural state as ‘free:’

“Well, gentlemen, I must say I differ with the keen minds of the South and with our President, who apparently shares their views, offering that the natural state of mankind is instead – and I know this is a controversial idea – is freedom. Is freedom. And the proof is the length to which a man, woman or child will go to regain it once taken. He will break loose his chains. He will decimate his enemies. He will try and try and try, against all odds, against all prejudices, to get home.”

What was Adam Smith’s contribution to the discussion on the ‘Wealth of Nations’?

Adam Smith proposed that we consider the nature and causes of the wealth of nations.  His answer to “does mercantilism create wealth?” is “no.”  I agree with his beliefs that wealth is based on the quality of life, not the money in the bank.

Levi Edgar Young (called to the Presidency of the Seventy in 1910) also agrees,

“Democracy teaches us that it is not wealth that makes happiness, but the wealth of the spirit, brought about by the opportunity to work on land and in factory, and to enjoy the blessings of church and school.”

(taken from a conference talk in 1937)

Indeed, hard work makes men happy because there is nothing more satisfying than seeing the fruits of your own labors.

Adam Smith proclaims that the goal of a nation should be to produce and consume.  Therefore, trade with other nations is key.  Trade creates a win-win situation, as opposed to the life-boat situation—win-loose—or the intersection—loose-loose.  Because human beings will act rationally in their own self-interest (if free to do so), trade is guided by an invisible hand which assures that each party will leave the table with more/better stuff than what it brought to the table.

Hurrah for Economics!

I’m so glad I’m taking this class instead of Econ110 and Hist220.

[Wednesdays are notoriously crazy this semester.  List of to-do’s for today: write 3 pages about “Just and Holy Principles,” this blog, write 10 sentences in French using imparfait, read 10 pages in “Mais Oui,” read something about Frederick Douglas, take the Hnrs240 quiz and do homework 7 for Linguistics.

Note to self: Never take 19.5 credits while working AGAIN.]

Please write a 500-700 word response on your experience visiting the Crandall Printing Museum.

I almost missed one of the greater museum experiences of my life because I was a little tired.  Last Wednesday, I was exhausted. The night before, I had taken my French 101 final (it was a first block class) and came back completely brain dead.  Wednesday morning I had to be on campus at 8 in order to participate in a research study (which involved me being hooked up to an EEG, see picture below, and staring in front of a screen for an hour trying to look at words and differentiate between the written word (a color) and the color of the word written).  This was immensely difficult.  I am quite sure I will be an outlier in that study, for which I apologize.  [Fortunately, my participation was still worth twenty bucks.]

So, I had no energy and didn’t want to bike the five blocks to the Crandall Printing Museum in Provo, UT.  Fortunately/Miraculously, my roommate and the guy in the back of my head convinced me to go ahead as planned.

The bike ride was refreshing—crisp, autumn air and crunchy leaves under my tires.

Two old men greeted me when I walked into the museum.  They were very friendly.  I love cheery old men.  I was not immediately impressed by the collections or the size—I went to the new Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois and the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago this summer, both very elaborate and impressive.  This Crandall Museum is unlike any other I have been in.  It has a large quantity of period pieces (printing equipment) displayed as though a replica of various printing shops, but lacks the glass wall usually separating one from such displays.

Once Mr. Crandall began enthusiastically talking about his museum, I thought of my dad.  He loves museums.  And history.  He knows EVERYTHING.  I love him.

As to the actual museum: it was inspiring and quaint. I loved the hands-on-ness of it. Mr. Watkins, a historian, discussed the conception of the printed word: Gutenberg and his press.  The fact that we have the printed word today is a miracle.  Gutenberg set up six presses, each fully staffed, although though he could have printed the requested copies of the Bible with much fewer.  He actually went into debt as a result of this surplus of staff and resources.  However, by training six crews of men, the printing press was able to reach to many more communities.  Consequently, in the next fifty years (1450-1500) more than 35,000 books were printed, making the written word concerning science, art, math, literature and religion available to many.   Mr. Watkins then proceeded to carve a letter into heated carbon, create a mold, then create the type by pouring some combination of metals into a device whose name I have forgotten.  The museum also has a full two pages (from Genesis?) of moveable type set up on their Gutenberg press. We got to run the press and print a page from this Latin Bible.

Wally Saling, an old printer, then proceeded to talk about how there would have never been an American Revolution without the circulation of pamphlets bashing the British government and carefully explaining reasons for permanent separation from the mother country (via Benjamin Franklin’s printing press).

The final room contains a press identical to that which was used to print the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, New York (the press is set up with page 14 of the Book of Mormon). It is another miracle that there happened to be not only a printer, E. B. Grandin, (with access to a shiny, new press) in this small town, but also a book-binding shop.  Slightly more miraculous, is that the type-setting and printing of 5,000 copies was completed in eight months.  This was no small feat.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.

Everyone should take advantage of the opportunity to visit the Crandall Printing Museum.  They will find, as I did, a great appreciation and admiration for the printed word.  See their website here for more information

[Also, they will learn, if they did not know already, that parchment comes from sheep skin.]