The Great Disappointment
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Description: 

The general public was always sckeptical of Miller's predictions. However after each failed prediction they became more and more skeptical. While these failures never stopped Miller from trying to predict the end of the world, they hurt his following. He began to be represented in the press as a "false prophet". Something that beleivers in christitanity would take very seriously as they are warned to avoid them through stories in the Bible. This would eventually lead many of his followers to be commited to insane asylums for having unhealthy "delusions". It's important to note that these kinds of wild predictions are what littered the press and where some of the few things representing the Christian faith. Similar problems happen with today's media where they focus on sometihng that doesn't really represent the faith as a whole. 

Source:

Norwood, K. “Vermont Digital Newspaper Project (VTDNP).” Vermont Digital Newspaper Project VTDNP, Flickr, 21 Mar. 2015, library.uvm.edu/vtnp/?p=2765.

Associated Place(s)

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Timeline of Events Associated with The Great Disappointment

The Great Disappointment

22 Oct 1844

Reverend William Miller (1782-1849) was comparable to other baptist preachers of the time during the Second Great Awakening. However, during the 1830s he partnered with Joshua V. Himes another well known and respected baptist minister. The two gained traction with the media and public as they began outwardly expressing thier views on the second comming of Christ. While the interpretation of christian scripture at the time was that Christ would come again to save beleivers, and condemn everyone else to eternal damnation, the time of this event was not clearified through scripture. This is why it was so polarizing for Miller and Himes to propose that they knew what day it would be, as well as being in thier near future. 

Ultimately looking back it is clear that these predictions were wrong, but Miller was wrong multiple times. The following he had created initially predected that the end would come on March 21, 1843. However Miller never confirmed this date, allowing himself to be more genrous by saying that it would be that year. However, this date and year would come and pass with no sign of an apocolypse. Miller would even predict some more dates before his final prediction of October 22, 1844. As the day came and went it became known as the, "Great Dissapointment". Even into his death Miller insisted that the endof the world they knew was close. 

Sources:

“The Millerites and Early Adventists, 1840-1870.” ProQuest, about.proquest.com/products-services/film/the-millerites-and-early-adventists-1840-18701.html.

Norwood, K. “Vermont Digital Newspaper Project (VTDNP).” Vermont Digital Newspaper Project VTDNP, Flickr, 21 Mar. 2015, library.uvm.edu/vtnp/?p=2765.

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Artist: 

  • Middlebury People's Press

Image Date: 

circa. 1843