Long after he first noted the appearance of the jerks in his diary (click here for extracts), Kentucky politician Robert Breckenridge reflected on the Great Revival and the development of the bodily execises in his autobiography. For the complete text of “The Life and Times of Robert B. McAfee and His Family Connections” (1845), see the Register of the Kentucky State Historical Society 25 (1927): 215–237.
The Religious excitement still continued followed with what was called the Jirks, (strong Spasmodic excitement) dancing & falling down Sermons at New Providence & the churches generally. This now began to excite the fears of the most intelligent preachers and the steady sober portion of Society. Much disputation grew out of this state of things, and eventually laid the foundation for a new Set of fanatics to build up their various sects, which it does not come within my intention to detail, my business is with myself alone and with such events as I was myself individually connected, my sole object being to leave a few Beacon lights to my descendants, by which they may avoid my errors, and at the same time see the difficulties which I have had to encounter in my Journey through life.
Source
Robert Breckinridge McAfee, “The Life and Times of Robert B. McAfee and his family connections,” 132–133, Filson Historical Society, Louisville, Ky.
