What was a major effect of the First Great Awakening?

• A. It strengthened loyalty to the British Crown
• B. It focused on experiences of individuals and equality
• C. It discouraged questioning authority
• D. It caused rapid industrialization in the colonies

Answer: (B)

The key idea here is that the First Great Awakening put emphasis on personal religious experience and equality among believers. It shifted focus from formal church authority to the idea that individuals could have a direct, personal relationship with God. This meant conversions and emotional religious experiences were important, and everyday people could take part in religious life, often leading to new denominations and lay leadership.

That focus on individual experiences and the sense that all people stood before God with equal access fits best with the idea of personal faith and spiritual equality spreading through the colonies. It also helped loosen rigid social hierarchies within religion and contributed to a broader spirit of questioning traditional authority—set against the notion of loyalty to the Crown or rapid industrial change, which aren’t what the awakening primarily spurred.