The episode continues a series on early Methodist history by examining the saddlebag ministry of circuit riders on the American frontier. These ministers traveled hundreds of miles through dangerous conditions, with nearly half dying before age 30 between 1800 and 1850. Host Stephen Nichols focuses on Peter Cartwright as a prime example. Cartwright was born in 1785 in Virginia to a farming family with a Revolutionary War veteran father. His family moved to Kentucky when he was five. In 1801, after a rowdy wedding, Cartwright experienced soul-searching and converted to Methodism. He became a circuit rider two years later and preached until his death at age 87. Cartwright had a meteoric rise in Methodism, aided by his relationship with Francis Asbury. He espoused primitive Methodism, keeping only a Bible, hymn book, and Methodist Book of Discipline in his saddlebag. Cartwright also entered politics, serving in the Illinois legislature and beating Abraham Lincoln in an 1838 election. Lincoln later defeated him for Congress in 1846. Historians estimate Cartwright preached over 15,000 sermons and saw nearly 13,000 conversions. He viewed circuit riders as a Methodist army conquering the frontier. The episode then shifts to camp meetings, which gathered people from rural areas for multi-day revivals. These events featured continuous preaching, singing, and prayer from morning to evening. Camp meetings were marked by intense emotionalism, including ecstatic utterances that foreshadowed charismatic and Pentecostal movements. They had a populist style and sometimes faced disruptions from ruffians. Unlike the Wesleys who fled such disruptions, Cartwright physically confronted them. The episode concludes by framing Cartwright as a rugged individual suited for America's rugged frontier.
