"There was in the place where we lived an unusual excitement on the subject of religion." — Joseph Smith Jr.1
Joseph grew up during the Second Great Awakening, a period of religious revivalism and social reform.2 In 1816, Joseph's family moved to the Palmyra-Manchester area in western New York. This area was often referred to as the "burned-over district."3 Charles Grandison Finney, a prominent evangelical minister, coined the term, describing the western and central regions of New York in the early nineteenth century as "burnt over" due to the intense level of religious revivals, like a wildfire burning through an area.4
From the late eighteenth century to the mid-nineteenth century, the Second Great Awakening swept through the United States and influenced many Christian denominations.5 This awakening also influenced social reform, including the abolitionist movement. This movement also found support in the burned-over district.6
