Religion and Reform
Chapter 8
1812-1860
Page 264
A Religious Awakening
Section 1
• A. Second Great Awakening- Early 1800’s a
revival of religious feeling swept the country
• Started in Kentucky and spread
• Preachers known as revivalists spoke at
outdoor meetings and churches around the
country
• Church membership skyrocketed
• Religious reforms swept country
B: Evangelical style
• Charles Grandison Finney- first evangelical
style of worship
• Lyman Beecher- Yale Educated- also known for
fiery speeches
Tensions
• Many wanted gov’t to back religion- stop
people from working on Sundays
• African Americans also embrace second Great
Awakening
• However, many start their own church- AME8,000 members
• Would lead many to call for an end of slavery
• Also led to many slave revolts
C. Mormons
• Many people dislike Mormons
– More than one wife
– Voted as a community
– Held property as a community
• Leader Joseph Smith
• Had to go place to place getting away from
violence
• Joseph Smith murdered in Nauvoo OhioMormons would go west- Utah
D. Jews and Catholics
• Catholics also hated
– Minority
– Poor- Irish- worked for less
– Believed they showed loyalty to pope, not U.S>
• Jews
– Different culture
– Started coming in larger numbers
E: The Rest
• Utopias- tried to establish perfect societies
– Most fail
• Shakers- United Society of Believers in Christ’s
second appearing
– Set up independent villages
• Transcendentalists- don’t need bible to find
God- listen to inner self and nature
– Ralph Waldo Emersonsd
– Henry David Thoreau- Nature, Walden
Reforming Society
Section 2
• A: Education
• Colonial times- parents taught- The American
Spelling
• Inadequate
• Public School Movement- Led by Horace
Mann- championed education in Mass. First
state board of education, end corporal
punishment, well trained teachers
• Democracy to work, needed educated
population
B. Prisoners
• Dorothea Dix- 1841- began teaching Sunday
schools in prisoner
• Wanted to reform the horrible prison system
– Mental illness with hardened criminals
• Promoted building hospitals for mentally ill
• Penitentiary movement
– Two types: Pennsylvania system, Auburn Prison
system
C: Temperance movement
• Industrialization caused many issues in society
• Crime, sickness, poverty, and neglected
families
• Temperance movement- end alcohol abuse
• Prohibition- outlaw alcohol
• ATS• Neal Dow- gave lectures
Section 3
Anti Slavery Movement
• During the 1800’s, the issue of slavery would
always be on the mines of the people.
• Many would try to abolish slavery, while
others would defend it
A. Slavery
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By 1800, more than 2 million slaves in U.S.
1/3 under age of ten
Life was terrible
Describe the Life of a slave
–1
–2
–3
–4
–5
B. Survival
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Some would lose hope
Others found ways to cope
Maintain traditions and family ties
Rely on Christian beliefs
Resist slavery
– Run away
– Break tools
– Work slowly
– Revolts- Denmark Vesey????
C. Nat Turner
• 1831, led a revolt in Richmond Virginia
• Could read and write
• Believed God told him to lead his people to
freedom
• Killed 60 people before local militia stopped
them
• Him and followers were executed
• Southerners would reacted? 1. 2.
D: Freed slaves
• Not all AA’s were slaves
• By 1780’s, some owners slowly freeing their
slaves and many northern states abolish
slavery- manumitting
• ACS- American Colonization Societyestablished Liberia- a colony for free slaves to
go to
• 1830 some 1,100 people returned
E: Fight Against slavery
• 1804- all states north of Maryland abolish
slavery
• 1807- slave trade banned
• Abolition movement gaining momentum
– William Lloyd Garrison- the Liberator
– American anti-slavery Society
– Frederick Douglas- former slave- great speaker
F. Fight Against Abolition
• South relied on slavery
– Benefited the economy, north and south
– Was better than waged laborers- for slaves and
owners
– Christianity promoted slavery
– Slavery was good for AA’s
– Keep white superiority over AA’s
F. Northerners racist too
• Some northerners also supported slavery
• Got Gag rule passed- law prohibiting
discussion on slavery
• Many abolitionists attacked
• Slavery would continue to divide the country
and hurt North/South relations.
Section 4
The Women’s Movement
• Many women would join the abolition
movement
• Would realize, “Hey, were not much better off
than slaver”
• We should get us some rights too.
A. Limits
• Early 1800’s Women couldn’t
– Vote
– Own property
– If divorced, men got custody
– Hold office
– Forbidden to speak in public in many cases
• Basically, don’t have an opinion, been seen
and not heard
B. Women Reformers
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Most important women’s reformers of 1800;s
Sojourner Truth-women rights and slavery
Catherine Beecher-advanced school
Emma Willard-advanced school
Dorothea Dix-prison reform
Angelina and Sara Grimke- started abolition
groups and women’s rights groups
C. Progress
• Industrial revolution allowed women to enter
workplace
• Still paid less then men and only certain jobs
• Women’s movement officially started in early
to mid 1800’s
• Published pamphlets, held meetings,
protested
D. More Women
• Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stantonhousehold names in women’s rights
• Seneca Falls convention- meeting of men and
women- wrote the Declaration of sentiments
• Suffrage would be an early goal
E. Progress- Married Women’s property Actguaranteed property of married women