Britannica AI Icon

James McGready

American Presbyterian minister

Quick Summary

James McGready was an American Presbyterian minister who played a key role in the Second Great Awakening, a Protestant religious revival in the United States from about 1795 to 1835. He was a prominent preacher during the first phase of this revival, which was characterized by frontier camp meetings held in Kentucky and Tennessee.1

The Second Great Awakening saw a significant increase in church membership, particularly among Methodist and Baptist churches. It emphasized soul-winning as a primary ministerial function and spurred moral reforms like temperance and the emancipation of women. This period of revivalism also led to the establishment of numerous colleges, seminaries, and mission societies across the country.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.