1. The Reforming Spirit We would have every path laid open to Woman as freely as to Man… As the friend of the Negro assumes that one man cannot by right hold another in bondage, so should the friend of Woman assume that Man cannot by right lay even well-meant restrictions on Woman. -Margaret Fuller, 1845

2. Main Ideas Reform movements and the American character Religious movements; Second Great Awakening Social reforms; the temperance, education, prison and asylum movement The women’s rights movement Abolitionist movement

3. Significant Movements 1820-1860 A diverse mixture of reformers dedicated themselves to such causes as establishing free (tax-supported) public schools, improving the treatment of the mentally ill, controlling or abolishing the sale of liquors or beers, winning equal legal and political rights for women, and abolishing slavery. The enthusiasm for reform has many historical sources: (1) Puritan sense of mission (2) Enlightenment thinking (3) politics of Jacksonian democracy (4) changing relationship among men/women, ethnic groups, and social classes

4. Categories of Reform Moral and Social Reform: the temperance movement; the movement to rescue prostitutes; efforts to eliminate activities such as gambling; extension of education Humanitarian Reform: prison reform, relief for the poor, care of orphans, mental institution reform, and the 10- hour day movement A political cartoon from 1787 jesting about the notion of taxation affecting prostitutes

5. Categories of Reform continued… Health reform: health food craze (graham crackers), effort to improve medical competence Political reform: suffrage for all adult white males; reduction of qualifications to run for office; change nomination process from caucus to convention; women’s suffrage The Reverend Sylvester Graham was an American dietary reformer. He was an early advocate of dietary reform in the United States and was most notable for his emphasis on vegetarianism and the temperance movement. Today, Graham is best known as the father of graham crackers.

6. Categories of Reform continued… Utopian: experimental living arrangements at New Harmony, Brook Farm, and Oneida; could also place some religious movements here such as the Shakers and the Mormons Radical: abolition of slavery!!!!! "Am I Not A Man And A Brother?" 1787 medallion designed by Josiah Wedgwood for the anti-slavery campaign

7. Categories of Reform continued… Economic: rise of banking; change from subsistence to market farming Evangelical movement: the Second Great Awakening; Millennialism 1839 Methodist camp meeting

8. Religious Movements The Second Great Awakening: First Half of the 19 th Century (Charles G. Finney) Millennialism (also called Millerism) founded by William Miller Charles Grandison Finney has been called The Father of Modern Revivalism The Millerites were the followers of the teachings of William Miller who, in 1833, first shared publicly his belief in the coming Second Advent of Jesus Christ in roughly the year 1843.

9. The Second Great Awakening In some regards, the Second Great Awakening was a reaction against the rationalism that was fashioned during the Enlightenment and the American Revolution Rejected the traditional Calvinist (Puritan) view of original sin and predestination and preached that any good Christian could attain salvation (Unitarian Church) Characteristic doctrine was perfectionism – the idea that human beings could overcome sin altogether.

10. A "Women's Awakening" Women outnumbered men in being converts and played a decisive role in leading men back to established churches or into new ones. Mothers proved especially influential in converting their husbands and sons. But the most characteristic converts were adolescent girls. The affirmation or reaffirmation of religious belief and commitment seems to have offered them a powerful sense of identity and purpose at a time in which their brothers and male peers could look forward to identifying themselves with jobs or careers, while girls prepared for domesticity.

11. Old and New Denominations Membership rapidly increased for old denominations such as the Baptists and Methodists. In the South and western frontier, Baptist and Methodist circuit preachers, such as Peter Cartwright, would travel to attract thousands These preachers used dramatic sermons at outdoor revivals, or camp meetings (1850, largest Protestant denomination) The movement also gave rise to new groups. One of the most active areas for religious fervor was a poor farming area in upstate New York, an area which became known as “the burned- over district.” Peter Cartwright was an American Methodist revivalist and politician in Illinois. Cartwright was a missionary who helped start the Second Great Awakening and personally baptized twelve thousand converts.

12. “The Burned-Over District” The burned-over district was the religious scene in the western and central regions of New York in the early 19th century, where religious revivals and Pentecostal movements of the Second Great Awakening took place. The term was coined by Charles G. Finney who in his 1876 book Autobiography of Charles G. Finney referred to a "burnt district" to denote this area.

13. New Denominations (Communal Experiments) Shakers – brought to this country in 1774 by Ann Lee, they believed that Lee had received direct revelations from God and that the arrival of Christ on earth was imminent (millennialism) and therefore they did not need to procreate (6,000 members) (1)Property held in common (2)Women and men separated (3)For lack of recruits, the movement died out by the mid-1900s Shaker dance and worship

14. New Denominations continued… Mormons – founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 when he published the Book of Mormon; facing severe persecution, the Mormons traveled to Utah Territory under the leadership of Brigham Young; by 1877 they had 350 settlements with 140,000 residents; in 1890 they renounced polygamy to attain statehood A stained glass window showing Joseph Smith's First Vision.

15. Millennialism Foremost exponent was William Miller, a farmer in upstate New York Miller predicted that the Second Coming would occur in 1843, but refused to give an exact date; when nothing happened in 1843, he named March of 1844 as the crucial month; when nothing happened, his followers pressured him to give a new date; he chose October 21, 1844, as the new “Advent Day.” People prepared by making “ascension robes” and neglecting secular business; they gathered on hilltops on October 21 to await the event, but again nothing occurred except an earthquake and thunderstorms. This “Day of Delusion” effectively ended the Adventist movement, although a few isolated sects continued. Calendar of the Karaite Jews

16. Secular Communitarianism New Harmony: created by Robert Owen in 1825 in Indiana in an effort to create a prosperous, self-governing community; stressed common ownership of land and the elimination of selfishness. Quarrels and dissatisfaction forced Owen to abandon his misnamed experiment. Brook Farm: founded by George Ripley in the 1840s, it had followers such as Nathaniel Hawthorne and was influenced by transcendentalism; they aimed at combining manual and intellectual work to develop and enrich the inner self; a fire destroyed the farm and it was not restarted. George Ripley founded Brook Farm based on Transcendental ideals.

17. A bird's eye view of a community in New Harmony, Indiana, United States, as proposed by Robert Owen.

18. Secular Communitarianism continued… The Oneida Community: founded by John Humphrey Noyes who wanted to substitute cooperativeness for competitive individualism and prohibited “special love”. Instead they established “complex marriage.” Oneida developed a thriving silver plate business enterprise; eventually abandoning complex marriage in the face of attacks from moral critics John Humphrey Noyes was an American utopian socialist. He founded the Oneida Community in 1848.

19. Secular Communitarianism continued… Fourier Phalanxes: In the 1840s, many Americans, including Horace Greely, became interested in the theories of the French socialist Charles Fourier (1)It was advocated that followers share work and living arrangements in communities (2)The movement died out because Americans were proved too individualistic Charles Fourier was a French philosopher. An influential thinker, some of Fourier's social and moral views, held to be radical in his lifetime, have become main currents in modern society. Fourier is, for instance, credited with having originated the word feminism in 1837.

20. The Impetus for Social Reform Many believed there was a decline of religion in American life There was worry that the Catholic presence in the Midwest would lead to the loss of that section to “Romanism” Taverns served all comers Growth of cities led to indistinctness and thus disreputable behavior Growth of crime, especially the rise of gangs At first, leaders of reform hoped to improve people’s behavior through moral persuasion When this failed reformers moved on to political action

21. The Temperance Movement Americans have always loved their liquor! In many places it was safer to drink alcoholic beverages than water. Reformers used techniques borrowed from religious revivals and mass politics – passed out leaflets, held “cold water parades,” organized lecture circuits of reformed drunkards who made emotional appeals for converts to sign temperance pledges Moral appeals gave way to political action: under the leadership of Neal Dow, Maine in 1851 passed the first statewide prohibition statute Temperance movements typically criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence, or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.

22. A lithograph by Nathaniel Currier supporting the temperance movement. (1846)

23. Important Temperance Groups Washingtonians (1840): a society began by recovering alcoholics who argued that alcoholism was a disease that needed treatment Women’s Christian Temperance Union (1870s): wanted prohibition of alcohol As a side note, German and Irish immigrants were largely opposed to the temperance reformer’s campaigns This 1902 illustration from the Hawaiian Gazette newspaper humorously illustrates the Anti- Saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperance Union's campaign against the producers and sellers of beers in Hawaii.

24. Education Reform Horace Mann, the first superintendent of education in Massachusetts, crusaded for state- financed education to provide moral guidance, encourage social mobility, lessen class differences, and to create an intelligent informed citizenry. By 1850, every state had at least some public elementary and secondary schools, with the North surpassing the South in the number of white children enrolled. Public schools required a new, more practical curriculum which included reading, writing, arithmetic, and geography. University curriculum changed from heavy doses of theology and the classics in favor of modern languages, politics, economics, and the sciences. Horace Mann: Arguing that universal public education was the best way to turn the nation's unruly children into disciplined, judicious republican citizens, Mann won widespread approval from modernizers, especially in his Whig Party, for building public schools.

25. Reform of Prisons and Asylums Penal codes were rewritten to abolish imprisonment for debt and restricting the death penalty to those convicted of murder. Pennsylvania penitentiaries adopted a movement of structure and discipline that would bring moral reform The Auburn system enforced rigid rules for discipline and provided moral instruction along with work programs States began to build more modern prisons (Connecticut had housed felons in an abandoned copper mine). States created special correctional facilities for juveniles. Dorothea Dix would be responsible for uncovering the abuse of the mentally ill, convincing Massachusetts to enlarge and improve the state’s facilities for the mentally ill. She would travel over 30,000 miles in her cause. As a result, nearly every state made some provision for improved care of the mentally ill. Dix circa 1850-55

26. The Changing American Family American society was still overwhelmingly rural in the mid-19 th century. Even so, the growing part of society that was urban and industrial underwent fundamental changes. (1)Office jobs and factory work created by the Industrial Revolution redefined the roles of men and women/husbands and wives (2)Men left home to work for salaries or wages (3)Middle-class women remained at home (took care of children)

27. Cult of Domesticity The new definition of men’s and women’s roles soon became an established norm in urban, middle-class households. (1)Men were expected to be responsible for economic and political affairs (2)Women concentrated on the care of home and children Women reformers, especially those involved in the antislavery movement, resented the way men relegated them to secondary roles in the movement or policy discussions Godey's Lady's Book was a highly influential women's magazine which reinforced the values of the Cult of Domesticity

28. Women’s Right Movement Two sisters, Sarah and Angelina Grimke, objected to male opposition to their antislavery activities. In protest, Sarah Grimke wrote her Letter on the Condition of Women and Equality of the Sexes (1837) Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton began campaigning for women’s rights after being barred from speaking at an antislavery convention Leading feminists met at Seneca Falls, New York (Seneca Falls Convention-1848) (1)First women’s rights convention (2)Issues “Declaration of Sentiments” (all men and women were equal) Sarah and Angelina Grimke Lucretia Mott was described as "the moving spirit of the occasion".

29. Antislavery Movement Opponents of slavery ranged from moderates who proposed gradual abolition to radicals who urged immediate abolition The Second Great Awakening encouraged many northerners to view slavery as a sin. Important abolition groups: (1)American Colonization Society: promoted the idea of transporting slaves to an African colony (Monrovia, Liberia) (2)American Antislavery Society: In 1831, William Lloyd Garrison began the publication of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator (created this group to attack slavery) (3)Liberty Party: Garrison’s radicalism led to a split in the movement and this party believed in political action (ran James Birney for president in 1840 and 1844)

30. Black Abolitionists Escaped slaves and free blacks were among the most outspoken and convincing critics of slavery. Frederick Douglas: former slave, friend to Garrison, and editor of The North Star Harriet Tubman: former slave (Underground Railroad) Sojourner Truth, David Ruggles, and William Still all helped assist runaway slaves Frederick Douglass stood up to speak in favor of women's right to vote.

31. Violent Abolition David Walker and Henry Highland Garnet were two northern blacks who advocated the most radical solution to the slavery question- armed resistance by rising up and revolting. In 1831, a Virginia slave named Nat Turner led a revolt in which 55 whites were killed. (1)In retaliation whites killed hundreds of blacks (2)After the revolt, fear of future uprisings put an end to antislavery talk in the South PICTURE TITLED CAPTURE OF TURNER On November 5, 1831, he was tried for "conspiring to rebel and making insurrection", convicted and sentenced to death. Turner was hanged on November 11 in Jerusalem, Virginia, now known as Courtland, Virginia. His body was flayed, beheaded and quartered.

32. Southern Reaction to Reform While “modernizers” worked to perfect society in the North, southerners were more committed to tradition and slow to support public education and humanitarian reforms. Southerners were alarmed to see northerners join forces to support the antislavery movement. Increasingly, southerners viewed social reform as a northern conspiracy against the southern way of life. William Lloyd Garrison (1805–1879), publisher of the abolitionist newspaper The Liberator and one of the founders of the American Anti- Slavery Society.

33. The General Nature of the Reform Movements What they did not advocate: No movement against the institution of private property Did not advocate government control of business Did not support labor organizations Did not attack child labor What they did advocate: Advocated laissez faire and the doctrines of Adam Smith Believed that labor creates wealth and that labor has a right to the fruits of a more sensitive social conscience by the businessman

34. Key Names, Events, and Terms Second Great Awakening Revivalism; camp meetings Millennialism Church of Latter Day Saints; Mormons Joseph Smith; Brigham Young Brook Farm; George Ripley Feminists Margret Fuller Utopian communities Shakers Robert Owen; New Harmony Joseph Henry Noyes; Onieda community Charles Fourier; phalanxes Horace Greeley Temperance American Temperance Society Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) Asylum movement Dorothea Dix Horace Mann Public school movement Women’s rights movement Sarah and Angelina Grimke Lucretia Mott Elizabeth Cady Stanton Seneca Falls Convention (1848) Susan B. Anthony American Colonization Society American Antislavery Society

35. Key Names, Events, and Terms Abolition William Llyod Garrison; The Liberator Liberty Party Frederick Douglass; The North Star Harriet Tubman Sojourner Truth Nat Turner American Peace Society Sylvester Graham

36. Question The abolitionist movement had the effect of (a) weakening white southerner’s attachment to slavery (b) converting most Americans to the abolitionist movement (c) increasing the chances for compromise between North and South (d) proving moral persuasion was more effective than political action (e) bring the issue of slavery to the forefront of the reform movement

37. Answer E: Bring the issue of slavery to the forefront of the reform movement

38. Question The Seneca Falls Convention was significant because it (a)initiated the religious revivals in the “burned-over district” (b)demanded the immediate abolition of slavery (c)issued a historic declaration of women’s rights (d)addressed concerns for the education of children (e)concluded that the Auburn system was a failure

39. Answer C: issued a historic declaration of women’s rights