CHAPTER 8
Reforming American Society
1820-1850
Main Ideas:
A religious revival sparks reform movements;
including calls to outlaw slavery.
Factory laborers begin to demand better
working conditions and the women’s rights
movement starts.
During the 1830s reforms of all sorts
spread over the U.S.-evangelism,
women’s rights, school reform, and
abolition.
 All of these were in response to
changes in industrial growth,
migration and immigration, and
communication.
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Section 1
Religion Sparks Reform
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A renewal of religious sentiment-known as
the Second Great Awakening-inspired a
host of reform movements.
Religious Activism

Second Great Awakening
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Individual responsibility for seeking salvation,
self-improvement, and society.
Preacher Charles Grandison Finney inspired
“emotional” religious faith.
Church services were large gatherings of people;
some of more than 20,000
Large gatherings, called revivals, lasted for
several days and spread new ideas about
religion.
Revivalism greatly increased church membership.
Charles Grandison Finney
In the midst of shifts in theology and
church polity, American Christians took it
upon themselves to reform society during
this period. Known commonly as
antebellum reform, this phenomenon
includes reforms in temperance, women's
rights, abolitionism, and a multitude of
other questions and problems faced by
society.
Historians stress the understanding
common among participants of reform as
being a part of God's plan. As a result,
individual Christians contemplated their
roles in society in purifying the world
through the individuals to whom they
could bring salvation.
Interest in transforming the world
eventually became reapplied to
mainstream political action, as
temperance activists, antislavery
advocates, and proponents of other
variations of reform would seek to
implement their beliefs into national
politics. While religion had previously
played an important role on the American
political scene, the Second Great
Awakening would highlight the important
role which individual beliefs would play,
doing much to illuminate issues of faith
through present day.
Schools Undergo Reform
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In the early 1800s, school attendance was not compulsory
and was not divided based on grade level.
During this time the first tax-supported public
schools were formed.
Horace Mann established teacher training courses
and curriculum reform.
He wanted both men and women to have access to public
education and believed that education was essential to the
success of democracy.
He helped create the state Board of Education in
Massachusetts, the first ever in the US.
This inspired other states to make reforms in education as
well.
Horace Mann
Section 2
Slavery and Abolition
In the 1830s, the abolitionist
movement gained momentum.
 Some wanted to limit slavery’s expansion
into new territories, while others were
determined to end slavery completely.
 White members of this movement were
mostly middle class, educated, church
people from New England.
 Black members were mostly former
slaves.
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William Lloyd
Garrison-radical
white abolitionist that
founded the New
England Anti-Slavery
Society and the
American Anti-Slavery
Society.
In his newspaper, The
Liberator, he called
for immediate
emancipationfreeing of slaves.

David Walker-freed
Afr. Amer.,
encouraged blacks
to fight for freedom
instead of waiting to
get it.
Cover of David Walker's
Appeal to the Colored Citizens
of the World
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Frederick Douglassformer slave, taught
to read and write by
former owner’s wife.
After escaping and
travelling North to
New York, Douglass
became a lecturer for
Garrison’s AntiSlavery Society.
He published the
newspaper, The
North Star, which
encouraged abolition
through political
action.
Nat Turner-former slave and preacher,
led a slave rebellion where about 60
whites were killed.
 Turner and his followers were captured,
but 200 slaves were killed in retaliation.
 Southern states created slave codes to
tighten limits on blacks.
 Free Afr. Amer. and slaves lost rights.
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Section 3
Women and Reform
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Women reformers expanded their efforts from
movements such as abolition and temperance
to include women’s rights.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott
formed a women’s rights society.
Many middle-class, white women were inspired
by religion and joined various reform
movements.
Sarah and Angelina Grimke were sisters from
South Carolina who worked for abolition.
Some men supported women reformers, but
most rejected them.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Stanton and Susan B. Anthony
Lucretia Mott
Sarah and Angelina Grimke
Many women join in the temperance
movement-prohibiting alcohol.
 The American Temperance Society was
founded in 1826 and had 6000 local
groups by 1833.
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In 1848, Stanton and Mott held the
Seneca Falls Convention for women’s
rights.
 They wrote a “Declaration of
Sentiments” modeled after the
Declaration of Independence.
 Attendees agreed that men and women
were equal, women should participate in
public issues, and women should have
suffrage rights; the right to vote.
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Former slave,
Sojourner Truth
(formerly Isabella
Baumfree) travelled
the country preaching
and teaching about
slavery.
She argued for
abolition and women’s
rights.