1820-1850 REFORMING AMERICAN

SOCIETY

Reform: change/improve society by removing problems Antebellum era (early 1800s) reforms: Religion Literature Institutions Prison Schools

Labor Women’s Rights

ANTEBELLUM REFORM

Second Great Awakening: broad religious movement that stressed

individual responsibility for salvation Heaven be a good person & do good things people begin fixing society’s problems to get “credit”

Charles Grandison Finney famous preacher of SGA Hosted “revivals” where he’d inspire people to

take responsibility for their salvation Lasted 4-5 days w/ crowds of up to 20,000

IMPACT ON SLAVERY: Slave owners wanted to “save” their slaves &

brought them to church sat in segregated pews but listened to same sermon/songs Slaves: message of salvation = hope Inspires abolition movement

RELIGIOUS REFORM

Transcendentalism: philosophical/literary movement which stressed the American ideals of optimism, freedom, and self-reliance Ralph Waldo Emerson New England writer Emphasized living simple life Celebrates the truth found in nature and in

personal emotion

Henry David Thoreau Importance of individual conscience: humans

know what’s right/wrong, no need for laws Disobey laws that are unjust civil disobedience

Optimism of reforms/transcendentalism inspires Utopian Communities Founded by experimental groups who tried to

create a “utopia”, or perfect place

LITERATURE INSPIRES REFORM

Prison Reform Dorothea Dix: visits MA Correctional House & discovers

that the mentally ill are housed in jails 1852, Dix persuades 9 Southern states to move

mentally ill to hospitals Focus on rehabilitation -- treatment that might reform the

sick or imprisoned to a useful position in society Education Reform PROBLEMS: no uniform educational policy existed in

USA Classrooms not divided by grade, young & old together

with one teacher Students drop out by age 10 to help on family

farm/business. Horace Mann (1830) Advocates for tax-supported public school systems. Establishes: teacher training programs & curriculum for

teachers to follow Doubled amount of $ state spent on education 1850’s every state had some form of publically

funded elementary schools

INSTITUTIONAL REFORMS

Industrial Revolution brings poor working conditions Poor ventilation, dangerous machines, physical demands of the job

Farm to Factory Worker – Lowell Mills Workers = unmarried farm girls 1828: women = 90% of workers, 4/5 under 30 yrs Girls could be paid less than men Opportunity! A real salary, could leave home, independence

Immigration increases 1845-1854 Ireland Potato Famine = About 1 million Irish

immigrants America Irish willing to work for very low wages Irish face nativism

(Americans want to support AMERICANS not immigrants) “Strikebreakers” b/c would replace any worker on strike

National Trades’ Union Union: group of people of the same trade who band together to try

to improve their working conditions. Helped standardize wages & improve conditions in the factories Supreme Court Support in Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842) Unions aren’t criminal if they don’t advocate violence/illegal

activities

LABOR REFORMS

1800’s: women were restricted to house Cooking, cleaning, child rearing,

farming, and educating children Women = nurturing seen as

“moral leaders” for reforming society through movements like… Abolition (end slavery) Temperance (end drinking) Education for Women Healthcare Reform (improve health

of all people) Women’s Rights (get women equal

rights)

ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN

Education for Women: 1837 1st women’s college (Mt. Holyoke

College in MA) 1837 Oberlin College admitted 4 women,

nation’s 1st coed university 1849 1st female to graduate medical

school Health reform— many women change

fashion standards & encourage women to be more healthy Poor hygiene (everyone!) Women’s lack of exercise Considered unladylike Pale was in, didn’t want to get a tan

outdoors! Women’s fashion = uncomfortable Corsets interfered w/ breathing Amelia Bloomer Pants for women!

ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN

Women’s Rights Early 1800s, women involved with

abolition & temperance Both very political movements which

gained national attention

Seneca Falls Convention Group of men and women gather in

Seneca Falls, NY in 1848 Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and

Lucretia Mott Introduced the “Declaration of

Sentiments” 300 women & men approve ALL parts

of declaration unanimously except THE RIGHT TO VOTE Declaration passes, but women cannot

vote until 1920 (19th Amendment)

ADVOCATING FOR WOMEN