Barton wanted to become a preacher but he had always been confused by the different denominations and wasn’t sure which one to join. Eventually he did become a minister at a local church, but he had doubts that everything that he was teaching was Biblically based. Stone had the theory that some things in the church were just the creation and tradition of men, and he didn’t see those things as necessary. Stone had a lot of questions but not a lot of answers. He decided the best thing for him to do was to hold a large religious meeting and invite as many different ministers from as many different denominations and churches as he could find to speak at his meeting.

The meeting was held in August of 1801 in Cane Ridge, Kentucky and an estimated 10,000 to 20,000 people showed up. The meeting, which ended up being more like a festival, lasted the entire weekend, from Friday to Sunday. At least 20 different ministers from different denominations spoke at the event. Tents and tables were set up with multiple speakers giving speeches on different areas of the property at the same time. These preachers would stand on logs, stumps, or anything that I could find to be seen and heard. It became known as the Cane Ridge revival. It was the largest and most famous religious meeting in the country at that point. The Cane Ridge revival was the spark that ignited the Second Great Awakening in America.

Barton wanted to become a preacher but he had always been confused by the different denominations and wasn’t sure which one to join. Eventually he did become a minister at a local church, but he had doubts that everything that he was teaching was Biblically based. Stone had the theory that some things in the church were just the creation and tradition of men, and he didn’t see those things as necessary. Stone had a lot of questions but not a lot of answers. He decided the best thing for him to do was to hold a large religious meeting and invite as many different ministers from as many different denominations and churches as he could find to speak at his meeting.

The second great awakening helped ignite many reform movements in the 1800's. With its emphasis on good deeds and making a difference, it encouraged people to take political action. The Abolitionist Movement and the Women's Suffrage developed because of the Second Great Awakening.