Old South: Difference between revisions

Historians have explored the religiosity of the old South in some detail.<ref>A leading source is Donald G. Mathews, ''Religion in the old South'' (1979).</ref> Before the American Revolution, the Church of England was established in some areas, especially Virginia and South Carolina. However the colonists refused to allow any Anglican bishop, and an actual practice local layman comprise the vestry of each Anglican church, and it made policy determinations as if the parish were a unit of local government. Thus it handled Issues such as welfare, cemeteries, and upkeep of the roads. The Church of England was disestablished during revolution under the leadership of people such as Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. The 18th-century the [[First Great Awakening]], in the early 19th century the [[Second Great Awakening]] had a powerful influence across the region, especially with poor whites, and also with black slaves. The result was the Establishment of many Methodists and Baptists churches. In the antebellum period, large numbers of open air revivals converted new members, and strengthen the resolve of established members. In the antebellum period, social issues such as public schools and prohibition, which grew rapidly in the North, but made little headway. In the North, revivals sparked a strong interest in abolition of slavery, a forbidden topic South of the [[Mason-Dixon line]]. Most church members used their religion for intense group solidarity, which often involved intimate examinations of the sins and failures of their fellow parishioners. At a deeper level, religion served as a momentary temporary relief, and a promised permanent relief, from all the hardships and oppressions of this world. Missionary activity was a controversial issue in the South, with strong support for missionaries among them Methodist, but among the Baptists there were strong movements for and against missionary activity.<ref>Dickson D. Bruce, "Religion, Society and Culture in the Old South: A Comparative View." ''American Quarterly'' 26.4 (1974): 399-416. [https://www.jstor.org/stable/2711655 Online]</ref>

==Honor==

 

==Old South Day==