Burned-over district facts for kids

The "burned-over district" is a special name for parts of western and central New York State in the early 1800s. This area saw many exciting religious revivals and the start of new religious groups. It was like the spiritual energy was so strong it "burned" through the region!

A preacher named Charles Grandison Finney (1792–1875) helped make this term famous. He wrote about a "burnt district" where a "wild excitement" had happened, which he felt was not a true religious awakening. This made some people doubt religion.

The "burned-over district" was also a hub for many important social changes. These included movements for ending slavery, women's rights, and creating ideal communities. Other movements like anti-Masonry, prohibition (stopping alcohol), and vegetarianism also grew here.

Historians have studied this area to understand its impact. Some early studies suggested the religious activity was not as unique as thought. However, more recent research shows that these revivals in Western New York had a big and lasting effect on religion and society across the entire nation.

Religion in the Burned-Over District

In the early 1800s, western New York was still a developing frontier. There weren't many official religious leaders. This meant many people, often self-taught, were open to new religious ideas. Traveling preachers helped many people join Protestant groups like Congregationalists, Baptists, and Methodists.

Many new religious movements were also started by regular people during this time. Here are some of the most well-known:

New Religious Movements

• The Mormon Movement: This movement began around 1828. Joseph Smith, Jr. lived in the area. He said an angel named Moroni led him to golden plates near Palmyra, New York. These plates became the source for the Book of Mormon. The largest branch of this movement today is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
• The Millerites: Started around 1834 by William Miller, a farmer from Low Hampton, New York. He taught that Jesus would return to Earth on October 22, 1844. This idea became very popular in western New York. Some of his teachings are still part of churches like the Seventh-day Adventists.
• Spiritualism: In 1848, the Fox sisters in Hydesville, New York, started making strange rapping sounds. This led to the American movement of Spiritualism, which believed in talking with the spirits of the dead. A famous center for this movement is Lily Dale.
• The Shakers: This group was very active in the area. They set up a communal farm in central New York in 1826. They also had a big religious revival in 1837. Shakers lived together and shared everything.
• The Oneida Society: This was a large group that created a successful community in central New York in 1848. They were known for their unique way of living, where everyone was considered married to each other, and children were raised by the whole community. The group ended in 1881.
• The Social Gospel: This movement focused on applying Christian teachings to social problems. It was influenced by Washington Gladden, who lived in nearby Owego, New York, as a child. Later, Walter Rauschenbusch of Rochester, New York continued this work.
• The Ebenezer Colonies: These German-speaking communities first settled near Buffalo, New York. They later moved to Iowa in 1856, becoming the Amana Colony, seeking a more isolated life.

Social Changes and Radicalism

Besides religious activity, the Burned-over district was also known for its strong social reform movements.

• Ending Slavery: The Oneida Institute (1827–1843) was a key place for the abolitionist movement to end slavery. It was the first college in the country to accept Black students on the same terms as white students.
• Equality in Education: The short-lived New York Central College was the first college to accept both Black students and women from the start. It was also the first college to hire African-American professors.
• Women's Rights: Elizabeth Cady Stanton, an early American feminist, lived in Seneca Falls, central New York. In 1848, she and others organized the Seneca Falls Convention. This important meeting focused on women's suffrage (the right to vote) and other women's rights.
• Utopian Socialism: The region was also a main source of followers for the Fourierist utopian socialist movement, which aimed to create ideal societies. The Skaneateles Community in central New York, founded in 1843, was one such experiment. The Oneida Society was also considered a utopian group.

Where is the Burned-Over District?

The Burned-over District is generally the area in New York State between the Finger Lakes and Lake Erie. It includes many counties:

Images for kids

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  Map showing the counties of New York considered part of the "Burned-over District"