APUSH Talking Points
The Ferment of Reform and Culture
1790 to 1860
AP Focus From 1830s to 1850s, the nation experiences a burst of reform activity, Various
movements set out to democratized the nation further by combating what they see as
institutions and ideas thwart the expressions of democratic values principles.
American Pageant: Chapter #15 The
Ferment of Reform and Culture
1790 to 1860
A third revolution accompanied the formation of American politics and the
transformation or the American economy in the mid nineteenth century - the desire to
improve the character of ordinary citizens and make them more upstanding and godfearing and literate.
YOUR NOTES:
What is the Antebellum Period? The time belonging to the period before a war,
especially the American Civil War.
POLITICAL, SOCIAL, and ECONOMIC ISSUES of the ANTEBELLUM PERIOD
Unfavorable POLITICAL conditions
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many Americans were excluded from the political process
Women were disenfranchised
Free blacks were disenfranchised
In some states, property ownership was a requirement for voting
Unfavorable ECONOMIC conditions
1. Oppressed urban workers were attempting to protect themselves by forming
unions
2. There were no stay laws (preventing people from going to prison for
indebtedness)
3. Unfair tax laws discriminated against small farmers and urban working poor
4. Land was not attainable for many inhabitants of the US
5. Many farmers could not afford their own farm
6. the market economy was susceptible to fluctuations inherent in the business
cycle (Panics!!!)
Unfavorable SOCIAL conditions
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Women were second class citizens
Racial discrimination was pervasive
Slavery was becoming intolerable
Treatment of the mentally ill was inhumane
Urban decay – poor housing, sanitation, crime, and disease
Working conditions were unsafe and unhealthy
Limited public education system, learning was only available to those that could
afford it
8. The Native American population was being systematically disseminated by the
Indian Removal act
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