Reshaping America in the Early 1800s 6.4: A Religious Awakening Sparks Reform

Reshaping America in the Early 1800s Lesson 4 A Religious Awakening Sparks Reform Learning Objectives Explain how the Second Great Awakening affected the United States. Describe the discrimination that some religious groups suffered from in the mid-1800s. Trace the emergence of the utopian and transcendentalism movements. Analyze the goals and methods of the public school movement. Evaluate the effectiveness of the prison reform and temperance movement.

Reshaping America in the Early 1800s Lesson 4 A Religious Awakening Sparks Reform Key Terms Second Great Awakening revivalists Charles Grandison Finney evangelical Joseph Smith Mormons Unitarians utopian communities Transcendentalists Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau public school movement Horace Mann Dorothea Dix penitentiary movement temperance movement Neal Dow

The Second Great Awakening By the early 1800s, the United States was well established as an independent, growing country. During this time of optimism, as settlers pushed westward and industry encouraged economic growth, American society was shaken by a religious movement that inspired Americans to change themselves and the world around them for the better.

The Second Great Awakening Second Great Awakening: revival of religious feeling in the starting in the early 1800s that lasted about 50 years. Revivalists: preachers who wanted to revive or reenergize the role of religion in America Gain salvation by improving themselves and their souls Works well with individualism and self-reliance We will end up improving society as well

The Second Great Awakening Started in Kentucky and would sometime last for a week (Revival) Charles Grandison Finney, Lyman Beecher Evangelical – teaching of the gospel by eliciting strong emotions and trying to attract converts. Sabbatarian reform movement – Christians who wanted Congress to pass a lay banning business transactions and mail delivery on the Sabbath. African Americans starting in 1787 with Richard Allen (Philadelphia) created the African Methodist Episcopal Church in 1816. African Americans found significance in the Bible. (Moses). Many slave revolt leaders said they were called by God to free people.

The Second Great Awakening Joseph Smith – founder of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Called Mormons Unitarians – break away from the traditional “Trinity” and see God as a single being – a unity. More liberal

The Second Great Awakening During the Second Great Awakening, religious revival meetings were held in open fields. This illustration depicts an 1850s camp meeting of the Duck Creek Methodist Episcopal church in Ohio.

The Second Great Awakening Analyze InformationHow did the Second Great Awakening affect church membership by the mid-1800s?

The Second Great Awakening Analyze Data Based on this graph, what prediction can you make about Mormon church membership in 1910?

Religious Discrimination and Intolerance The preachers of the Second Great Awakening were Protestant. By the mid-1800s, well over half of all Americans were also Protestant. Non-Protestants were in the distinct minority and faced discrimination.

Religious Discrimination and Intolerance Mormons isolated themselves in their own communities Polygamy Became rich as they jointly held land Voted as one Nauvoo Illinois Smith was arrested and sent to Missouri for treason charge – while in prison, a mob murdered him. Catholics thought “undemocratic” and thus “unAmerican” as they followed the Pope. Also, most Catholics were Irish and poor – nativists views Jews barred from holding office in the US.

Religious Discrimination and Intolerance Displaced Mormons settled in Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1839. Nauvoo remained the center of the Mormon religion until Brigham Young led the Mormons to Utah in 1848.

Religious Discrimination and Intolerance Analyze Maps Based on the map, why do you think the Mormons chose Salt Lake City for resettlement?

Utopias and Transcendentalism In the early 1800s, many Americans turned to Protestant churches, while some formed new religious groups. Still others sought different routes to try to fashion a more perfect society.

Utopias and Transcendentalism Utopian communities – places where people lived by different societal rules and usually practiced communal living. Brook Farm and New Harmony – failed Onieda Community – complex marriage (can’t be selfish), birth control, and eugenic selection. Also raised children communally. Overtime made superior silverware Shakers – ecstatic behavior during service – no marriage or sex – died out. Transcendentalists – believed that people could go beyond (transcend) logic or tradition in order to reach the deepest truths. Listen to nature, not religion. Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau – student of Emerson Jailed for not paying taxes to support Mexican War – immoral. Came up with Civil Disobedience – break the law for the right reasons.

Utopias and Transcendentalism Analyze Maps In which region were communal societies concentrated? What factors may explain this distribution?

Utopias and Transcendentalism Shakers built communities for their adherents such as Pleasant Hill in Kentucky.

Public Education Reform The spiritual self-improvement inspired by the Second Great Awakening encouraged campaigns to improve and perfect society as well. Soon, many Americans began to put their religious ideals into practice by working to reshape, or reform, parts of American life. Their efforts would affect several groups of the most disadvantaged Americans.

Public Education Reform Public school movement – tax supported public schools Expanding education would give Americans the knowledge and intellectual tools they needed to make decisions as citizens of a democracy. Horace Mann – school reformer – supported state run free schools required by law to attend

Public Education Reform Some young people, like these students, learned subjects such as reading and mathematics at local schools. But most young people were taught by their parents or not at all.

Public Education Reform Analyze Data Why might school enrollment have varied over time?

Social Reform Movements Americans who had little or no voice in how they were treated were of special concern to many reformers. That was one reason why many reformers worked tirelessly to help Americans who were imprisoned or mentally ill. Women were at the forefront of these social campaigns. This in itself was an extraordinary change in American social history, as women had traditionally been discouraged from taking on public roles.

Social Reform Movements Dorothea Dix – fought for social reform in prisons and hospitals in Massachusetts 32 state hospitals for mentally ill created Penitentiary movement – not punish but make prisoners feel sorry for their crime. Temperance Movement – effort to end alcohol abuse and problems created by it. Led to violence and crime Domestic abuse Neal Dow – mayor of Portland Maine, got the law changed outlawing the sale of alcohol. Carry Nation

Social Reform Movements Dorothea Dix fought for social reform in prisons and hospitals throughout the state of Massachusetts. Her efforts contributed to the establishment of 32 state hospitals for the mentally ill.

Quiz: The Second Great Awakening The idea that governments should not be involved in religious affairs is called A. the anti-Sabbatarian reform movement. B. evangelical revivalism. C. anti-religious energy. D. the separation of church and state.

Quiz: Religious Discrimination and Intolerance In the 1800s, the political reason for anti-Catholicism was that A. Protestants feared Catholics would be more loyal to the Pope than to the nation. B. Protestants feared the government would establish Catholicism as the state religion. C. Catholics had gained too much political power in Congress. D. Protestants believed Catholics would try to end religious tolerance.

Quiz: Utopias and Transcendentalism Rather than following religious doctrines, Transcendentalists believed that people should A. supplement their devout religious practices with meditation. B. cast aside all religious doctrines and focus on individualism. C. listen to nature and to their consciences to learn the truth. D. separate themselves from mainstream society.

Quiz: Public Education Reform A key reason Noah Webster's The American Spelling Book gained such popularity was that it A. emphasized America’s cultural independence from England. B. emphasized America's connection to England and its heritage. C. focused on a new American 'language' crafted from others. D. taught a distinctly aristocratic form of the English language.

Quiz: Social Reform Movements Among Dorothea Dix's accomplishments was A. the passage of the 'Maine Law.' B. the creation of the first modern mental hospitals. C. the establishment of government-supported Sunday schools. D. the dismantling of the national prison system.