New York's Burned-over District

The origin story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a social movement catalyst: the spiritual awakening of Americans living on the frontier near the Erie Canal to organized religion in the early 19th century. Joseph Smith wrote about “...an unusual excitement on the subject of religion…Indeed, the whole district of the country seemed affected by it, and great multitudes united themselves to the different religious parties….” The white-hot fervor led to the phrase “burned district” or “burned-over district.” 

A new anthology published by Cornell University Press invites readers to revisit the transformational era of the Second Great Awakening with new insights regarding how the revivals fit into a larger pattern of social reform and a narrative of an expanding population on the move. Edited by Spencer W. McBride, who is Associate Managing HIstorian of The Joseph Smith Papers, and Jennifer Hull Dorsey. (The volume’s publication date is August 15, 2023.)