1. Movement to create a better America (Early – Mid 1800s)
Reforming Society
Movement to create a better America
(Early – Mid 1800s)

2. National Origin of Immigrants: 1820 - 1860
Why now?
Nativism:
hatred toward foreigners

3. Influences Religious 2nd Great Awakening:
- Movement to revive American religious faith
- Improve self and the world

4. The Second Great Awakening
“Spiritual Reform From Within” [Religious Revivalism]
Social Reforms & Redefining the Ideal of Equality
Education
Abolitionism
Project researching, maybe presentation, or news article or etc.
Wilderness Utopias
Temperance
Transcendentalism
Women’s Rights

5. 1. Religion Revivals lead to religious split
Presbyterian, Congregationalists, Unitarians
North/East
Methodist, Baptists
South/West

6. Influences Philosophical: Transcendentalism
- New England literary movement
- Beauty and goodness in all individuals
- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Henry David Thoreau

7. 6. Transcendentalism The cultivation of reasoning (black/white)
“Transcend” the limits of intellect and allow the emotions, the SOUL, to create an original relationship with the Universe
Thus, the role of the reformer was to restore man to that divinity which God had endowed them
Spread peace and Justice, educate

8. Transcendentalist Thinking
Man must acknowledge a body of moral truths that were intuitive and must TRANSCEND more sensational proof:
The infinite benevolence of God.
The infinite benevolence of nature.
The divinity of man.
They instinctively rejected all secular authority and the authority of organized churches and the Scriptures, of law, or of conventions

9. The Transcendentalist Agenda
Give freedom to the slave.
Give well-being to the poor and the miserable.
Give learning to the ignorant.
Give health to the sick.
Give peace and justice to society.

10. “The American Scholar” (1837) Resistance to Civil Disobedience (1849)
6. Transcendentalist Intellectuals/Writers Concord, MA
Ralph Waldo
Emerson
Henry David
Thoreau
Nature (1832)
Self-Reliance (1841)
Walden (1854)
“The American Scholar” (1837)
Resistance to Civil Disobedience (1849)
R3-1/3/4/5

11. Areas of Reform Utopian Societies Temperance Educational Reform
Women’s Rights
Prison and the Treatment of the Insane
Abolition

12. Utopian Communities
Goal: Separate from corrupt society and create ideal society
- Brook Farm:
- New Harmony
- Oneida
Result: fail to last long term, but inspired many to fix society

13. John Humphrey Noyes (1811-1886)
The Oneida Community New York, 1848
Millenarianism --> the 2nd coming of Christ had already occurred.
Humans were no longer obliged to follow the moral rules of the past.
all residents married to each other.
carefully regulated “free love.”
John Humphrey Noyes ( )

14. Temperance Goal: Preach the evils of alcohol
Women & the Protestant church lead reform movement
Domestic Abuse
Infidelity
Results:
Some states pass prohibition laws

15. Educational Reform
Goal: Protect the republic by educating the electorate
- Government funded schools
- Mandatory attendance laws
- Teacher training schools
Horace Mann

16. Religious Training  Secular Education
7. Educational Reform
Religious Training  Secular Education
MA  always on the forefront of public educational reform * 1st state to establish tax support for local public schools.
By 1860 every state offered free public education to whites * US had one of the highest literacy rates.

17. Horace Mann (1796-1859) “Father of American Education”
Children are clay
Discouraged corporal punishment
State teacher-training programs
R3-6

18. Women’s Rights
Goal: Improve the status of women and expand their role in America
- Seneca Falls Convention: Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions
"it is the duty of the women in this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the franchise.”

19. Early 19c Women Unable to vote. Legal status of a minor
Single  could own her own property
Married  no control over her property or children
Could not initiate divorce.
Couldn’t make wills, sign a contract, or bring suit in court without husband’s permission

20. Women’s Suffrage The right of women to vote in political elections
Elizabeth Cady Staton, Lucretia Mott, and Susan B. Anthony leaders of movement

21. Prison and the Insane
Goal: Improve the conditions of prisoners and mentally ill
Dorothea Dix: Aid for the mentally ill
- Rehabilitation of Prisoners
- New institutions for ill

22. ABOLITION Goal: End Slavery Why???
Against the ideas of liberty & equality
Send the ex-slaves back to Africa
American Colonization Society
Creates Liberia for freed slaves

23. Abolition Emancipation: Complete freedom for the slaves
- Strongest support in the North

24. -William Lloyd Garrison
Abolitionists
-William Lloyd Garrison
“The Liberator”
“I will not retreat a single inch, AND I WILL BE HEARD”

25. Abolitionists Sojournor Truth - Freed northern slave
Frederick Douglass
- Runaway slave
Bought freedom
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglas

26. Response to Abolition
Northern Fears:
- Disturb social order
- May lead to civil war
- Take jobs away from Northerners
- South would not pay debts to North
Southern Fears:
- Loss of property
- Inspired slave revolts

27. Lasting Impact
- Abolitionists bring publicity to the horrors of slavery
- Southerners develop a deep distrust that the North trying to end slavery