Sonoma Creek flows down the valley to the bay. The area includes the incorporated city of Sonoma and part of the City of Santa Rosa, as well as numerous unincorporated communities, including Kenwood and Glen Ellen near Santa Rosa and, near Sonoma, El Verano, Boyes Hot Springs, Fetters Hot Springs, and Agua Caliente.
These camp meetings quickly became a popular and important feature of the Second Great Awakening. Charles Grandison Finney Other than the creator of the camp meeting, one of the prominent leaders of this movement was the preacher Charles Grandison Finney. Finney, a lawyer turned preacher, was undoubtedly the most influential leader of the awakening. He was an incredibly eloquent speaker as well as a skilled writer, likely due to his years as an attorney. Finney was also a leader for allowing women to lead prayer, while also being a strong supporter of abolition.
The Second Great Awakening was more than just a religious movement; it provided a new social outlet. There was an excitement to it, and a sense of belonging. People even changed denomination if they felt one preacher was more interesting than the last. This essay puts a social twist on early evangelicalism.