Final answer:
The conditions for development in millenarian and revitalization movements in mid-nineteenth century America included the Second Great Awakening's evangelical influence and a societal push for reform, which led to the emergence of sects like the Millerites and communities such as the Shakers.
Step-by-step explanation:
Conditions for Development in Millenarian/Revitalization Movements
The mid-nineteenth century in America was marked by significant societal changes, cultivated by an atmosphere ripe for the development of millenarian and revitalization movements. The Second Great Awakening spurred the growth of evangelical Christianity and impacted various spheres of life, leading to the creation of various eschatological groups. Central to this transformative era were the conditions for the development of such movements, which included the surge of evangelical Protestantism, particularly the Second Great Awakening, and the need felt by its participants to not only experience religious revivalism but also to reform society more broadly. As a result, a fusion of religious fervor and a desire for social change gave rise to many new sects and religious communities such as the Shakers, Millerites, and Mormons, all of which embraced the imminent Second Coming of Jesus.
These communities often rejected the rationalist approaches of the Enlightenment and instead were inspired by Romanticism, which emphasized emotion and spirituality. Utopian communities like the Shakers and Brook Farm were established as a way for members to live out their ideals in a collective setting. The followers of William Miller, who predicted the precise date of the Second Coming, experienced what was known as the 'Great Disappointment' when Jesus did not arrive as expected, leading to the disintegration and transformation of their movement. Nonetheless, these conditions fostered an environment of religious and social experimentation that would leave a lasting impact on American society.