1. Pre-Civil War Reform Attempt to improve society through reform

2. First secular efforts in history to improve society through reform

3. United States in the forefront of this reform

4. Reform inspired by ideals but reaction to fear of a disintegrating society

6. FEAR Social Disorder Social Disorder Violence Violence Family Fragmentation Family Fragmentation Widening Class Divisions Widening Class Divisions

7. Rapid and Unsettling Social Changes Emergence of a Market Economy Emergence of a Market Economy Beginnings of Rapid Urbanization and Industrialization Beginnings of Rapid Urbanization and Industrialization Decline of Deference Decline of Deference Spread of Democratic Politics Spread of Democratic Politics Increasingly Unequal Distribution of Wealth Increasingly Unequal Distribution of Wealth Radical Shift in Women’s Roles and Status Radical Shift in Women’s Roles and Status

9. Anxiety Will democracy degenerate into anarchy? Will democracy degenerate into anarchy? Will self-seeking individualism erode traditional morality? Will self-seeking individualism erode traditional morality? Will commercialism undermine national ideals? Will commercialism undermine national ideals?

10. Many believed… The only way to stabilize the social order was to internalize self-restraints within the depths of individual character through religion and moral reform.

11. Roots of Reform?

12. Rose out of a millennialist sense of possibilities that was both secular AND religious!

14. Early 19 th Century Americans convinced society disintegrating Americans convinced society disintegrating –City Slums –Duels –Lynchings –Street Children –Alcoholism –Illegitimacy –Young women left home (women not under control of father or husband)

15. Stump Speaking (1850) George Caleb Bingham

18. In America, where the privileges of birth never existed and where riches confer no peculiar rights on their possessors, men unacquainted with one another are very ready to frequent the same places and find neither peril nor advantage in the free interchange of their thoughts. ~Alexis DeTocqueville, Democracy in America

19. Early 19 th Century Religious Revival (2 nd Great Awakening) Religious Revival (2 nd Great Awakening) –Time of Constitution- 1 in 20 attended church –1860- 1 in 3 attended church –Millenialism- a belief that the world is about to end –Churches forced to compete for members so they adopted new theologies and teaching styles

20. Methodist Camp Meeting, 1839

21. "The noise was like the roar of Niagara,… At one time I saw at least five hundred swept down in a moment as if a battery of a thousand guns had been opened upon them, and then immediately followed shrieks and shouts that rent the very heavens." ~eyewitness James Finley

24. Tent Revival Meeting in Eastham, Mass

25. Reform Came in Three Stages Moral Reform: Create a God like society. Moral Reform: Create a God like society. Social Reform: Create institutions to combat poverty, crime, illiteracy and disease. Social Reform: Create institutions to combat poverty, crime, illiteracy and disease. Radical: Combats underlying inequalities, slavery, racism and sexism. Radical: Combats underlying inequalities, slavery, racism and sexism.

26. Moral Reform Temperance –Dram brakes/ night caps –The term booze came from this era –Typical adult drank 7 gallons/year –Linked to crime, poverty, unproductive workers –Stress of market society lead many to drink Death on the Striped Pig (1839)

27. Moral Reform Prostitution Prostitution –5% - 10% of teenage girls in New York were prostitutes –Age of consent in states ranged from 7 – 13 19 th Century Prostitution

28. The Effects of Drunkeness (1841)

31. http://www.teachushistory.org/Temperance/vl-death.htm

32. William Sidney Mount Bar-room Scene, 1835

33. Social Reform Crime –Exploded in early 19 th century –Colonial View: Reintegrate criminals into society; punishments were swift and harsh

34. Social Reform Education Education –Horace Mann: convinced MA of Public Education –Create system to train teachers –Germany, Netherlands and Denmark developing schools at the same time.

35. Social Reform Education (cont.’) Education (cont.’) –Create schools without raising taxes –Solution: Hire women, pay them lower wages than men

36. Radical Reform Abolition Abolition –Early 19 th Century Slavery on the way out –1808 US and GB outlawed African Slave Trade –Problem: How to convince slaveholders to emancipate slaves? –1830s and 1840s US in deadlock over slavery

37. A Piece of Sheet Music from 1829

38. Radical Reform Violent counter- reaction to abolitionists Violent counter- reaction to abolitionists Garrisonians vs. Politics Radicals Liberty Party Slavery Evil Free Soil Party at heart of US Republican Party

39. Radical Reform Women’s Rights Women’s Rights –1848 London Abolition Conference: Female delegation forced to sit in balcony behind a curtain –Anti-slavery Movement splits over inequalities for women

40. Radical Reform Average American Woman Average American Woman –1800 7 – 10 children –1800 -1850fewer than 5 children –19003 children Women were desperate to reduce rate of births Women were desperate to reduce rate of births High Rates of Abortions 1 in 6 estimate High Rates of Abortions 1 in 6 estimate

41. Radical Reform Things getting better for women Things getting better for women –Rise in women’s literacy –Increase in female schools/academies –Increased employment opportunities Things getting worse for women Things getting worse for women –No political power –Women’s work devalued –Lacked divorce and property rights