Much of the material in this volume deals with George Whitefield (1714–1770), English preacher and revivalist. As a student at Oxford, he associated with those who formed the “Holy Club,” who would later be known as the first Methodists. Whitefield was becoming recognized as unusual because of his preaching abilities, and Martin Benson, bishop of Gloucester, determined to ordain Whitefield at the age of twenty-one, despite his prior decision to ordain no one before twenty-three. Whitefield's preaching created revivals in London, Bristol, and Bath. British newspapers picked up the story, and among their readers was Benjamin Franklin, who reprinted the story in his Pennsylvania Gazette. These papers had already reprinted more than eighty items concerning Whitefield and the revival in England.

When Whitefield first came to Philadelphia, in November 1739, Franklin reported it and it was reprinted a week later by three Boston papers. Lisa Smith's research in extant newspapers shows that much of the revival-related notices in papers from Boston to Charleston were reprints. Since colonial newspapers did not have reporters in the modern sense, the printer got his news from letters, eye-witnesses, and other papers. Reporting on the awakening was overwhelmingly positive in the early years of the 1740s; it not only reported on Whitefield but also stressed the extensiveness of the movement. When Presbyterian pastor Gilbert Tennent went to New England in December 1740, the papers published seventeen items concerning his preaching, only two being negative. In his Pennsylvania Gazette, Franklin was especially positive, writing on June 12, 1740, “The alteration in the Face of Religion here is altogether surprising . . . . All which, under God, is owing to the successful labors of the Rev. Mr. Whitefield.”

Whitefield realized that he needed various types of assistance in the New World if he was going to be successful, and one of his chief needs was for a printer. On November 5, he found a print shop near the tall and impressive steeple of Philadelphia's Christ Church, and he entered the front door and asked for the printer. He was introduced to Ben Franklin, and they began a discussion. Yes, Franklin could take on a new client, one who would supply him with a steady round of materials to print—his sermons and tracts. Then, this was no ordinary preacher, Franklin found, and he had reported on this Englishman; he was an international traveler with extensive background. Franklin was astounded when Whitefield told him of his plan for an orphanage in faraway Georgia—and that this man was planning to travel there, even though roads to Georgia were nearly nonexistent, and he knew nothing of the obstacles. As they talked, Franklin framed an opinion of the man. He became greatly impressed with the amount of experience Whitefield had behind him, despite his youth. Franklin's caution began to fade. Whitefield seemed so transparent and sincere, so concerned about the spiritual welfare of total strangers, and at the same time so visionary and driven to achieve.

Franklin had read in the London papers of Whitefield's powerful voice, and this too made him curious. He asked the Englishman where he would be speaking next, and was told he was to gather a crowd around the Court House steps that afternoon. “Don't you prefer speaking in a church, from a pulpit? I haven't heard of anyone speaking out of doors, with all the street noises drowning you!”

“Oh no; I prefer the open air. The interiors are too crowded. I have no trouble speaking above street noises. There is much more freedom in the open air.”

The result of this lengthy meeting was the forming of a friendship that was beneficial to both men, for Franklin was so intrigued by the idea of an orphanage that he volunteered to be its representative and financial trustee, and this was exactly what Whitefield needed. Since Franklin's newspaper was influential, this also was helpful, for its coverage of Whitefield's ministry could be trusted to be fair and generally impartial. Thus there was the somewhat strange situation of deist Franklin's calm, objective attitude, rejecting organized religion but friendly and appreciative of the benefits of the Awakening, compared to a significant number of the clergy who were anti-revival and opposed to Whitefield.

For the next year, Whitefield went from New England to Georgia preaching the Gospel and attracting tens of thousands. After a significant ministry in America, he left the colonies in January 1741, and soon news coverage on the Awakening changed, becoming less supportive and frequent. The interval allowed elements of opposition to appear. Whereas opponents previously remained generally quiet, in Whitefield's absence they became bolder and appeared in print more often. Several would-be revivalists also took the opportunity to become more prominent, such as the Rev. James Davenport whose behavior was especially bizarre in the spring and summer of 1742. Eventually Davenport was deported from both Massachusetts and Connecticut, both declaring him non compos mentis.

The most prominent example of the change occurred in the summer of 1741. The Philadelphia Synod of the Presbyterians held its annual meeting on May 27, and conflict began immediately. Some issues had been festering for years. A sizeable number of the clergy were opposed to the revival, and they tried various maneuvers to eject their opponents from the synod. The revivalists withdrew and promptly formed their own synod with the New Brunswick and Londonberry Presbyteries. The newspapers pounced upon this story eagerly, since so many Presbyterian clergymen were prominent supporters of the Awakening. Ben Franklin, as a largely non-active supporter of Philadelphia's First Presbyterian Church, began printing more negative items than positive items from 1742 through 1744.

With the most prominent representatives of the Great Awakening no longer in America after Whitefield's departure, those examining it could turn their attention to other aspects. Besides being controversial, newspapers also portrayed the revival, after 1741, as leading toward irrationality. There were undeniable instances of this, as well as those that were occasionally dangerous. The most significant tragedy linked to revival crowds happened in Boston on September 22, 1740, before Whitefield was to preach at the Reverend Samuel Checkley's church. The upper balconies gave way, and five people were killed. News of this event was carried in newspapers to every city.

In examining all of the colonial newspapers, the author has done a most meticulous work. A number of charts and graphs included show the number of positive, negative, and neutral items in all the papers throughout the colonies for the years 1739 through 1748. The author has not only examined every extant paper, but has also presented the other major revivalists, such as William Tennent, Sr., his son Gilbert Tennent, and James Davenport. All of this gives a complete, rounded appraisal to this study of the Great Awakening.