Ch. 8 – Reforming American Society
Section 1
1. Compare revivalism and transcendentalism, describe each movement and explain how the two movements were
similar and different (include who, where, when, etc.)?
 Emotional meeting designed to awaken religious faith – Swept across the US early 19th century – Charles Finney
Popular in NY, brought Christianity on large scale to slaves
 Philo. & Literary movement emphasized simple life & truth found in nature, emotion & imagination – RW Emerson
HD Thoreau – no need to obey laws they consider unjust Civil Disobedience
2. What are two areas of American Society where there were reforms that took place during the mid-19th century, who
were the leaders of these movements and what changes were made?
 Asylums/Prisons – Dorothea Dix – set up public hospitals for mentally ill, prison reforms, the idea of rehabilitation
 Education – Horace Mann – School conditions varied (MA & VT compulsory attendance pre Civil War) – sec’y of
Education for MA, teacher-trained programs, curriculum reforms – doubled money (from taxes) spent on school
Section 2
1. What is abolition, who were three different leaders of this movement and how did they go about trying to bring
reform?
 Outlaw slavery
William Lloyd Garrison, David Walker, Frederick Douglass
 The Liberator asking for immediate emancipation (NEAS 1832) – Appeal to the Colored Citizen of the World black
to fight for freedom – Learned to read and write, worked but did not keep his wages, lecturer for the Anti-Slavery
Society The North Star (antislavery newspaper)
2. How much had slavery grown in the early part of the 19th century, what were the two different types of slavery that
were discussed, and what was the famous rebellion that took place in 1831?
 Rural Slavery – dawn to dusk all slaves – whipped to obedience – large & small farms
 Urban Slavery – demand rose because many southern whites turned to farming $ - Blacksmith, Carpentry
400,000 in Southern Cities – hired out and much better clothed, fed, and some privileges
 Nat Turner Aug. 1831 – he and 80 followers 4 plantations almost 60 whites – 200 black killed as a result
3. As a result of this 1831 revolt, what was the debate that erupted about slavery and where did it take place? What
were other results (backlashes) from these revolts, and what were some of the arguments for slavery?
 Some argued for emancipation – VA lost by a 73-58 vote – closed the debate on slavery issue
 Many pushed for tighter control on slaves – gospel preaching restricted, no vote to free black, no guns, alcohol,
assembly or testify – no property, learn to read or write or even work independently
 Bible – Myth of the happy slave – led to a gag rule which limited debate on the issue
Section 3
1. What was the role of women traditionally in the mid-1800’s, what was the term for this, what were some of the
challenges women faced?
 Marriage & keep the house – Cult of Domesticity
 ½ pay for same work, no vote, no jury
 Her property & $ became his! Lacked guardianship over children
2. List and explain 3 of the 4 reform movements women actively participated in during the 19 th century, include their
roles and prominent women discuss in the text.
 Abolition – Sarah & Angelina Grimke – An Appeal to Christian women in South, men denounce this idea
 Temperance – Mary C. Vaughn – originally to wash down salted meat – drunkenness becoming a problem –
6000 temp. societies held rally & passed out pamphlets
 Education for Women – Grimke’s Letter on the Equality of the Sexes & Conditions of Women – Emma Willard
1821 rigorous school for girls – Mary Lyon 1837 – Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary
 Health Reform – Elizabeth Blackwell 1849 graduate medical school – 1850 national women’s health survey – no
exercise & rest. clothing
3. What was the major event of the Women’s Right Movement, what decisions and documents came out of this
convention, and who were some of the more important women in this movement?
 Seneca Falls Convention
 “Declaration of Sentiments” – 300 women & men encourage women to participate in all issues except voting
 Elizabeth Cady Stanton – Lucretia Mott – Sojourner Truth proved she was equal
Section 4
1. What was rural manufacturing like up until the early 19th century, what were the earliest factories like in the United
States?
 Cottage System – produced goods at home in pieces
 Most were textiles, some furniture and tools – drop in prices – machine replacing skilled artisans – farmers shifted
to repetitive factory work with tight restrictions
2. What was the typical mill town discussed in the book, who traditionally worked at these mills, for how long? What
were the conditions of work there, and how did the workers eventually respond?
 Lowell, MA
 Mostly unmarried farm girls - only for a few years
 5 AM until 7:30PM – heat, darkness, and poor ventilation – summer hot and humid, winter fumes from whale-oil
lamps – increased demand for production due to more machinery
3. What groups of people came to this country during this time period, when/why did they come, where did they
settle/why, and what challenges did they face?
 1845-54 3 million (20 million) German & Irish - more than 1 million Irish from the potato famine
 Avoided the south because slavery limited economic opportunities, did not like Catholics in South
 German in the upper Miss Valley & Ohio Valley – Irish in NYC, Philly, Boston
 Catholic conspiracy, prey for cheap employers