Born into a Scotch-Irish family in County Armagh, Ireland, he migrated to America with his parents, studied theology, and along with Jonathan Edwards and George Whitefield, became one of the leaders of the evangelical revival known as the First Great Awakening.

[1] In 1721, the family moved from Westchester, New York to Pennsylvania where William served as pastor at Bensalem in Bucks County.

The same year he received an honorary Master of Arts degree from Yale College in recognition of his educational achievements despite not having attended lectures.

[2] He assisted his father in the founding of Log College at Neshaminy, but soon accepted a call to establish a church in New Brunswick, New Jersey.

He supported "enthusiastic itinerancy," opposed changes to the Synod's educational requirements for ordination, and insisted that only those who experienced "genuine conversion" should be ministers.

[1] In 1741, the Synod of Philadelphia voted to exclude the New Brunswick Presbytery, effectively expelling Tennent and other revivalist ministers.

In response, Reverend John Elder, a Presbyterian minister from Paxtang known as the "Fighting Parson,"[8] raised two companies of mounted associators.

In February 1764, the Paxton Boys led an armed march on Philadelphia with the intent of attacking the Moravian Lenape and Mohican who had been moved there for their protection.

[9] The Paxton Boys halted their march in Germantown after learning about the sizable force that was prepared to meet them in Philadelphia.

Following a day of negotiations, the marchers agreed to disperse after receiving assurances that their grievances would be presented to the Governor and Assembly.