George Whitefield (December 27 [O.S.

December 16] 1714 – September 30, 1770), also known as George Whitfield, is an English Anglican priest who helps spread the Great Awakening in Britain, and especially in the British North American colonies.

He is one of the founders of Methodism and of the evangelical movement generally.

He beomes perhaps the best-known preacher in Britain and America in the 18th century, and because he travels through all of the American colonies and draws great crowds and media coverage, he is one of the most widely recognized public figures in colonial America.