Final answer:
The Great Awakening led to the emergence of new religious denominations as colonists sought a more personal and emotional expression of faith. It shifted some colonists away from traditional Puritan and Anglican congregations towards evangelical groups such as Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Great Awakening caused some colonists to leave Puritan and Anglican congregations for newer denominations. This religious revival, which was part of a broader spiritual movement felt in both Britain and the American colonies, was characterized by a renewed focus on an individual's personal relationship with God. Key figures like Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield promoted this fervent approach to faith, which led to the spread of new evangelical Protestant denominations including Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists.
Despite sharing some similarities with the intellectual movement known as the Enlightenment, such as the skepticism of institutional authority, the Great Awakening differed in its core emphasis on emotional religiosity rather than reason. The legacy of the Awakening can be seen in the proliferation of these new religious groups, as it helped to diminish the traditional dominance of established churches like the Congregationalists and Anglicans, thereby changing the religious landscape of Colonial America.