Everything Everywhere Daily · Sunday, September 6, 2026
The religious conflicts between the Old Lights and New Lights during the Great Awakening spurred the founding of several major American colleges, many of which are now part of the Ivy League. Institutions like Yale, Princeton, Columbia, and Brown University all trace their origins to these colonial-era religious and educational battles.
“One unintended consequence of the rift between the Old Lights and New Lights was the establishment of some of America's most famous colleges and universities.”
“Collegiate School was founded in 1701 in Saybrook, Connecticut, by Calvinist congregations to preserve Old Light teachings and educate ministers.”
“Of the eight schools in the Ivy League, six of them owe their origins directly to colonial religious battles and the Great Awakening.”