Will give brainliest if the great awakening was a religious movement that said people could take charge of their lives and were responsible for their own salvation. why was the great awakening significant to the development of the colonies? a. it  represented the first step in developing the concept of  freedom of the press. b. it led  colonial leaders to think about  trade laws  and how to build a robust economy. c. it caused many colonists to believe they could form their own government. d. it  introduced a new way of thinking that focused on reason and science.