WARM UP “Education then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great equalizer of the conditions of men…” - Horace Mann What does it mean that education is the “great equalizer?”

Reform Era

REFORM ERA19 th century  Main Idea : Industrialization, cultural changes, and religious revivals led to reform movements in 19 th century America.

What led to Reform?  Rising wealth in United States  Industrial Revolution  Transcendentalism  Belief in human potential of individuals  2 nd Great Awakening

Second Great Awakening “The people crowded to this meeting from far and near. They came in their large wagons, with [food] mostly prepared. The women slept in the wagons, and the men under them. Many stayed on the ground night and day for a number of nights and days together. Others were provided for among the neighbors around. The power of God was wonderfully displayed; scores of sinners fell under the preaching, like men slain in mighty battle; Christians shouted aloud for joy.”

Second Great Awakening “The noise was like the roar of Niagara. The vast sea of human beings seemed to be agitated as if by a storm. I counted seven ministers, all preaching at one time, some on stumps, others on wagons... Some of the people were singing, others praying, some crying for mercy. A peculiarly strange sensation came over me. My heart beat tumultuously, my knees trembled, my lips quivered, and I felt as though I must fall to the ground.”

Second Great Awakening This guy preached for 3 days straight…

Second Great Awakening  This religious revival caused many people to turn to reform society

 Abolition  Women’s Rights  Prison Reform  Care of disabled  Education  Temperance  Labor Reform Reform

Treatment of the Disabled  The workforce had to be more physically uniform to perform routine factory operations. Disabled people were rejected.  disabled people were shut away in single-sex institutions for life, or sterilized  Some suggested that they should be “detained for the whole of their lives” as the only way to “stem the great evil of feeble-mindedness in our country.”

Treatment of the Disabled  Many people to this point in history did not know how to treat mental illness  Many disabled patients were locked in rooms, chained to beds, beaten into obedience  Dorothy Dix – led the fight for the mentally ill  Facilities for disabled people were improved, allowing them to have more fulfilling lives

Education Reform  Before the Industrial Revolution, most children received little formal education  Education was for the wealthy (private tutors)  Horace Mann – “education…is the great equalizer”  Fought for free public education for everyone  Wanted all children (wealthy and poor) to mix in schools

Temperance Movement  Many Americans became concerned that drinking alcohol ruined people’s health, disrupted family life, led to unemployment, and led to “ungodly behavior”  Temperance Movement  Goal: total abstinence from alcohol

Prison Reform  Are prisons about punishment or reforming criminals?  Prisons were all about putting criminals away for a while…  Reformers campaigned for better prison conditions  Argued: Prisoners should be rehabilitated  Eliza Farnham – warden of a women’s prison who believed in treating prisoners fairly

HOW WOMEN WERE TREATED IN THE 1800s Legally: women were not equal citizens – could not vote, serve on juries, or hold public office Socially: women were expected to care for the home and children – no education Economically: once a woman married, her husband took control of all her property and income

Women’s Rights  Women had little power/rights in the 1800s  Some women began to see these inequalities as a serious problem that needed reform  Women began to organize together  Seneca Falls Convention  Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and other reformers organized this convention to stand up for women’s rights

Women’s Rights  Seneca Falls Convention (1848)  This convention passed the Declaration of Sentiments “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed with their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…”

Women’s Rights  Susan B. Anthony  Daughter of a Quaker abolitionist  Called for:  Equal pay for women  College training for girls  Coeducation

ABOLITION  Abolitionist Movement: the effort by many groups and individuals to end slavery in the United States  Abolitionists opposed slavery from the beginning (example: Quakers)  The Reform movement expanded abolition as more people wanted to see an end to slavery

ABOLITION  Important names:  William Lloyd Garrison  Published The Liberator – a newspaper that called for the complete end to slavery by peaceful means

ABOLITION  Important names:  Frederick Douglas  Escaped slavery  Became a famous speaker, writer, newspaper editor, and reformer  Proved that slaves could function as part of society as free, independent citizens

ABOLITION  Important names:  Uncle Tom’s Cabin(book)  Book published in 1852 that described the horrors of slavery  Made slavery a moral issue for many people

ABOLITION Harriet Tubman  Underground Railroad  Network of abolitionists, paths, and places that secretly helped slaves escape to the North or Canada

ABOLITION  John Brown’s Revolt  1859 – John Brown and other abolitionists (white and African-American) attacked an arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia  John Brown hoped to seize weapons and start a violent rebellion against slavery  Brown and his men were defeated by local citizens and government troops  Brown is convicted of treason and executed by hanging  Becomes a martyr