Joseph Smith, the Burned-over District, and the Second Great Awakening: A Nexus of Revivalism, Reform, and Religious Innovation

To fully understand Joseph Smith and the origins of Mormonism, it is essential to examine not only his family life but also the broader social, cultural, and religious milieu in which he lived. Born in 1805 in Sharon, Vermont, Joseph Smith moved with his family to Palmyra, New York, in 1816, when he was just 11 years old.