Religious Reforms

Second Great Awakening New religious fervor swept through US in 1830s –Concentrated in upstate NY

What caused it? Reaction to changing times –Industry & growth of cities –Immigration –Transportation –Communications

Evangelism Responsibility to share religion by giving testimony/witnessing Highly emotional type of religion

Revivalism Large religious gatherings –Often too many people there for town – go out to a campmeeting Argued for political change –Led to reform movements

Religions that began then Mormons (Latter-Day Saints) Church of Christ Jehovah’s Witnesses 7 th Day Adventists

African-American Church Churches & revivals (in north) often open to whites & blacks –Children of the same God Slaves in S often went to church with master (but sat separately)

African Methodist Episcopals Founded by free blacks Fought for end to slavery Became center of black culture 1 st national black convention –Looked at how to help escaped slaves to freedom

Transcendentalism Appealed to people turned off by revival religions – too public Philosophical movement –Simple life –Truth & beauty in nature –Personal emotion & imagination

Transcendentalism Ralph Waldo Emerson Henry David Thoreau –Optimism / freedom / self-reliance –Follow your “inner voice” –Civil Disobedience – follow your conscience

Unitarianism Popular with northern rich, well educated people No emotion – only calm reason –Also believed in political reform

Utopian communities Experimental settlements –Trying to create perfect society Most places didn’t last –People had to work more than they thought they would

Shakers Men & women equal –But couldn’t marry or have kids Died out pretty soon –Members only converts & orphans

Prison reform Earlier, jails were very brutal –Lots of abuse –Solitary confinement for very long periods of time –Kept mentally ill with prisoners

Dorothea Dix Prison reformer Move mentally ill to hospitals Try to rehabilitate –Train prisoners to return to society

Public schools PA – set up first state public elementary schools –Rich against it – they could pay for private school for their kids –Immigrants against it – ethnic pride

Public schools Most states didn’t have well run public schools until late 1800s Most kids in 1 multi-grade class Most dropped out by age 10