The First Great Awakening’s Impact on the Founding Fathers Dr. Eddie Hyatt

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Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson, are usually considered the most irreligious of America’s Founding Fathers. If Franklin was in Washington, D.C. today, however, he would stand out for his strong religious beliefs and conservative political views. He would be pro-life, pro-traditional marriage and would advocate for prayer and Bible reading in the public schools. So far has our nation moved from its Christian origins that this most liberal, irreligious Founder would today stand out for his conservatism.

His Early Life & Indiscretions

Franklin was born in Boston in 1706 into a hard-working Protestant family that had Puritan influences on both sides of the family. In fact, Franklin’s critics have derided his Autobiography, written later in life, as “little else than a Puritan document—a religious tract—for the justification of thrift and other Puritan qualities.”

At the age of seventeen, Franklin ran away from home and settled further south in Philadelphia. In his early life he engaged in inappropriate behavior such as fathering an illegitimate son and his common law marriage to Deborah Read. But in his autobiography he describes himself at that time as being “under no religious restraint,” clearly indicating that “religious restraints” later became a governing force in his life.


His Deistic views, however, also changed with time. This was attributable, no doubt, to his Puritan upbringing and also to his exposure to the Great Awakening and his friendship with the Awakening’s most famous preacher, George Whitefield (1714-1770).

Franklin Participates in the Great Awakening

AwakeningPreachers320When Whitefield arrived in Philadelphia for the first time in 1739, Franklin was already established as a successful printer and one of the city’s leading citizens. Philadelphia, as was generally true of colonial America at the time, was spiritually indifferent and vice and immorality was running rampant. Some ministers had issued calls for prayer and fasting, but until now little evidence of answered prayer had been seen. This was all about to change.

Franklin was astounded at what transpired through Whitefield’s preaching. No building in Philadelphia was large enough to accommodate the thousands that flocked to hear him preach, and he was forced to preach outdoors. The meetings were nonsectarian and in his Autobiography Franklin wrote, “The multitudes of all sects and denominations that attended his sermons were enormous.”

The city was transformed and Franklin described the change as “wonderful.” From his Autobiography, it sounds as if he was in regular attendance at all the meetings. He had never seen anything like it, and wrote;


His Friendship with George Whitefield

On this, his first visit to Philadelphia, Whitefield reached out and introduced himself to Franklin who was eight years his senior. This proved to be the beginning of a long friendship that lasted until Whitefield’s death 31 years later. In later visits, Whitefield would even stay in Franklin’s home when visiting Philadelphia.

Whitefield hired Franklin to print and distribute his Sermons and Journals and Franklin took on the task with enthusiasm. Franklin also advised Whitefield in business matters related to his ministry, such as the advertisement and distribution of his Sermons and the establishment of an orphanage in Georgia. He also contributed financially to Whitefield’s ministry.

In his Autobiography, Franklin refers to Whitefield as “a perfectly honest man” and describes their friendship as being “sincere on both sides, which lasted till his death.”It is obvious that, in spite of their differences, their friendship ran deep. It is also obvious that the friendship had a deep and lasting impact on Franklin and led to a transformation of his views about God and the Bible.

In his Autobiography Franklin says that Whitefield often prayed for his conversion but did not live to see his prayers answered. Even so, there is evidence to suggest that Whitefield’s prayers were eventually answered and that Franklin did come to know in a personal way the Savior that Whitfield so often spoke to him about.

Evidence of Change


On one occasion, when he learned that his daughter had stopped attending church because of a personal dislike of the minister, Franklin wrote her a letter in which he exhorted her on “the necessity and duty of attending church.” Being ever the philosopher, he then said, “Pure water is often found to have come through very dirty earth.”





Franklin Calls the Constitutional Convention to Prayer



According to those present, “An atmosphere of reconciliation seemed to settle over the convention hall.” Petty grievances and local interests were laid aside, and the delegates went on to complete their task of formulating the American Constitution and Bill of Rights. I think Whitefield must have smiled, and all of heaven with him!

Concluding Thoughts

The words in his call to prayer show that Franklin had discarded his Deistic views for Deists did not believe that God “governs in the affairs of men” and prayer for them would be meaningless. The impact of his Puritan upbringing, his exposure to the Great Awakening and Whitefield’s personal friendship are all obvious here in Franklin’s words and actions.If Franklin was America’s most irreligious Founder, what does that say for most politicians in Washington, D.C. today? If Franklin was the most irreligious of our Founders, then it shows how far our nation has fallen and how desperate we are for another Great Awakening in our land.

Dr. Eddie Hyatt is an author, historian, revivalist and ordained minister. This article is derived from his book, America’s Revival Heritage, available from Amazon and from his website at

 The vision for the modern National Black Robe Regiment is, equipping, empowering and engaging pastors for spiritual and cultural transformation. The National Black Robe Regiment is a network of national and local pastors and pastor groups that equips and empowers pastors to engage in their Biblical and historical role to stand boldly for righteousness and transform society through spiritual and cultural engagement.




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