Changing things for the better. Reforms Changing things for the better.

Lesson Intro During the 1800s, the United States experienced an industrial boom, westward expansion, and massive societal changes that would forever change Americans. Objective Students will be able to describe the historical development and evaluate the impact of Reform movements on US society.

Reform Notes The following slides will discuss reform movements taking place in the US. In your spiral, we will be taking Cornell-style notes. The right hand column is for notes and the left-hand column is for questions. All important notes will be in this color font.

A 2nd Great Awakening? Beginning in the early 1800s, the Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival that focused on peoples actions when determining their salvation. The Awakening was characterized by spirited preachers and emotional crowds who would come together in huge outdoor meetings known as revivals. Minister Charles Finney taught that individual salvation was the first step towards “reformation of the whole world”. Due to the call of action made by awakening preachers and the new found democratic spirit of the Jacksonian era, many people especially women began to form social reform movements.

Dorothea Dix and Mental Health reform Dorothea Dix, a Boston school teacher, was inspired by her religious beliefs to care for those less fortunate. In 1841, Dix visited a jail for women outside Boston and was horrified by the conditions and treatment of mentally ill people. Over the next 18 months, she visited every site in Massachusetts that contained mentally ill people. Her reports convinced state legislators to build a new mental health hospital. Dix continued to report and lobby on behalf of the mentally ill across the country.

Dorothea Dix and Prison Reform Dix also got involved in a growing movement to reform the prison system. Prisons during this time often housed men, women, and children in cramped cells with very little food. Many people placed in prison were debtors who had been arrested due to their inability to pay their debts. Dix and others called for reform that overtime saw cruel punishments being banned, minor crimes receiving shorter sentences, two inmates per cell, and the end of debtors being considered criminals.

Temperance Movement Alcohol abuse was widespread during the 1800s. Many women took a leading role in this campaign against alcohol abuse due the negative effects alcohol had on families. In 1851, Maine passed a law prohibiting the sale of alcohol. Eight other states followed suit passing their own version of “Maine laws”.

Horace Mann and Education Reform As more men gained the right to vote, reformers began to push for an improved education system. Horace Mann became head of Massachusetts board of education in 1837. Inspired by the Great Awakening, Mann lobbied for the creation of public tax-supported schools , an extended school year, and the establishment of teacher colleges. By the 1850s, many northern states had followed suit. Despite this expansion, African Americans had little opportunity to attend school. Thomas Gallaudet opened the first school for the deaf in 1817. Samuel Howe founded the first American school for the blind in 1832.

Abolitionism Abolitionism is a movement calling for the end of slavery. People associated with the group are known as abolitionists. Notable abolitionist include Fredrick Douglas, William Lloyd Garrison, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Sojourner Truth, and Charles Finney. Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Stowe and The Liberator newsletter written by Garrison helped to spur people into action across the North.

Women’s Rights As more women supported abolition, many began to notice that they lacked rights as well. The women’s rights movement was started to guarantee women basic rights over property, family, jobs, and voting. Notable leaders include Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucretia Mott. In 1848, the Seneca Falls convention took place advocating for the rights of women. During the convention, the Declaration of Sentiments was written as a parody to the Declaration of Independence in which women outlined their grievances against mankind.