ANTEBELLUM REFORM : MOVEMENTS CALLING FOR CHANGE BEFORE THE CIVIL

WAR

THERE WERE MANY DIFFERENT REFORM MOVEMENTS PRIOR TO THE CIVIL WAR

2.05/2.06: Reform Movements of the Antebellum Era

Religious Reforms

When you finish your notes, put the pages in your notebook: P. 17: Religious & Other Reforms P18: African American Reforms P19: Women & Labor Reforms

Then…finish the last section of your G2 study guide

2nd Great Awakening

Religious movement emphasizing individual responsibility for salvation

N & S churches split over slavery

Revivals

Religious gatherings with passionate speeches

Increased church membership

Charles Finney: Father of Revivalism

African American Churches

Slaves were forced to go to their owner’s church

Sermons are promise of freedom

Church gave slaves a sense of community Acted as the social,

cultural & political center for slaves

Other Reform Movements

EXPERIMENTAL GROUPS THAT TRIED TO CREATE A “UTOPIA” OR PERFECT PLACE

Utopian Communities

Education Reform

Horace Mann: wanted school reform Create teacher

training programs

Prison Reform

Dorothea Dix: Helped get laws passed for prison reforms & help for the mentally ill

African-American Reform Movements

Abolition

Reform movement wanting to outlaw slavery

William L. Garrison

Radical white abolitionist

Wrote “The Liberator” Newspaper preaching

abolition

Emancipation

The immediate freeing of slaves

Slave owners will not be paid

Not all abolitionist supported emancipation!

David Walker

Free African American who urged others to fight for their freedom

Supported the use of violence

Frederick DouglassBelieved education was

the path to freedom

Wrote “The North Star” & urged others to run away to freedom

Promoted peaceful separation

Political activism was the way to gain freedom

Nat Turner’s Rebellion

Slave rebellion that killed 55-60 whites in Virginia

Turner & several others were captured & killed

Southern Response to Nat Turner’s Rebellion

Many argued for immediate emancipation avoid more revolts…

Revenge was enacted against many blacks – most who had nothing to do with the rebellion Abt. 200 blacks were killed

Virginia Debate: State legislature defended slavery

& voted against abolition

Gag Rule: Limited the debate on slavery

Slave Codes: Stricter controls placed on slaves

Can’t own gun Can’t testify in court Can’t assemble Can’t buy alcohol Can’t get an education

Women’s Reform Movement

Cult of Domesticity

Traditional “women’s work” Caring for children,

cooking, cleaning

Grimke Sisters

Angelina Grimke: Wrote “An Appeal to Christian Women of the South” Asked women to

overthrow the system of oppression

• EFFORT TO PROHIBIT ALCOHOL

• INFLUENCED BY RELIGION & WOMEN’S MOVEMENT

Temperance

F E W E D U C AT I O N A L O P P O R T U N I T I E SSchools were burned down!!

W O M E N W E R E I N V E RY P O O R H E A LT HRestrictive clothing

Lack of bathing!

Women’s Education & Health

Seneca Falls Convention

1st Women’s Rights convention Supported by

abolitionists b/c fighting for similar rights

Leaders: Elizabeth Cady

Stanton Lucretia Mott

Sojourner Truth

Former slave who traveled the country speaking for abolition & women’s rights

Labor Reform Movement

Immigration

Increased between 1830-1860

Many from Ireland & Germany

Avoided South Not needed due to slave labor

Settled in North & worked in factories Low wages Used as strike breakers

Created more job competition

Trade Unions

Workers began to organize into unions & wanted better wages & working conditions

Commonwealth v Hunt

Upheld the rights of workers

Strikes were legal