Reviving ReligionReviving Religion

And the Birth of the And the Birth of the Reform MovementReform Movement

The Importance of ReligionThe Importance of Religion

By 1850, 3/4 of 23 million Americans By 1850, 3/4 of 23 million Americans regularly attended churchregularly attended church

Many changes in religious faithMany changes in religious faith Deism and the Unitarian FaithDeism and the Unitarian Faith

Unitarians:Unitarians:No Trinity, Jesus a man, stressed No Trinity, Jesus a man, stressed

man’s goodness, emphasized worksman’s goodness, emphasized worksEmbraced by intellectualsEmbraced by intellectuals

The Second Great AwakeningThe Second Great Awakening

C. 1800 - A reaction against liberalism in C. 1800 - A reaction against liberalism in religionreligion

Pervasive evangelicalism that sparks Pervasive evangelicalism that sparks religious religious andand social reform social reform

Giant crusades (revival meetings)Giant crusades (revival meetings)Methodists and BaptistsMethodists and BaptistsPeter Cartwright (1785-1872) - best known Peter Cartwright (1785-1872) - best known

traveling Methodist preachertraveling Methodist preacherCharles Finney - greatest of the revival Charles Finney - greatest of the revival

preacherspreachers

The Church of Latter-Day SaintsThe Church of Latter-Day Saints

Joseph Smith founds MormonismJoseph Smith founds Mormonism Known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day

SaintsSaints Brigham Young becomes the Mormon leader in 1844Brigham Young becomes the Mormon leader in 1844

Smith murdered by an Illinois mobSmith murdered by an Illinois mob The Mormons settle at the Great Salt Lake in UtahThe Mormons settle at the Great Salt Lake in Utah

Utah Territory brought into the United States in 1850 Utah Territory brought into the United States in 1850 (45th state in 1896)(45th state in 1896)

Young serves as GovernorYoung serves as Governor

The Age of ReformThe Age of Reform

American reformers promoted American reformers promoted change in many areas of societychange in many areas of society

Reform societies formed to take on Reform societies formed to take on the social evils of Americathe social evils of America

The reform movement was a The reform movement was a product of the Second Great product of the Second Great AwakeningAwakening

Prison ReformPrison Reform

Debtors Prisons eventually eliminatedDebtors Prisons eventually eliminatedThe number of capital crimes was The number of capital crimes was

reducedreducedCruel and unusual punishments were Cruel and unusual punishments were

outlawedoutlawedPrisons became places of reform as Prisons became places of reform as

well as punishmentwell as punishment

Reforming the Treatment of Mental IllnessReforming the Treatment of Mental Illness

Imprisonment and cruel Imprisonment and cruel treatment of the insane treatment of the insane persisted into the 19th persisted into the 19th centurycentury

Dorothea Dix the Dorothea Dix the leading reformer in the leading reformer in the fieldfield

The Temperance MovementThe Temperance Movement

Men as a group tended to drink liquor Men as a group tended to drink liquor much more than womenmuch more than women

Economic & environmental reasons Economic & environmental reasons for the popularity of liquorfor the popularity of liquor

Temperance movement led by womenTemperance movement led by women

The Temperance MovementThe Temperance Movement

One of the most successful reform One of the most successful reform movementsmovements

By the 1840’s, the nation witnessed By the 1840’s, the nation witnessed a sharp decline in alcohol a sharp decline in alcohol consumption.consumption.Consumption was 1/2 the rate Consumption was 1/2 the rate

during the 1820’sduring the 1820’s

AbolitionAbolition

William Lloyd Garrison a leading voice William Lloyd Garrison a leading voice against slaveryagainst slaveryUncompromising in his demand for Uncompromising in his demand for

emancipationemancipation Earned support of Black Abolitionists, Earned support of Black Abolitionists,

including Frederick Douglass and including Frederick Douglass and Sojourner TruthSojourner Truth

The Utopian CommunitiesThe Utopian Communities

Experimental cooperative Experimental cooperative communities established by communities established by reformers reformers

Founders were intellectualsFounders were intellectualsAlternatives to competitive Alternatives to competitive

economic societyeconomic society

Robert Owen & New HarmonyRobert Owen & New Harmony

Founded in 1825 in Indiana by Founded in 1825 in Indiana by British-born Owen - 1000 residentsBritish-born Owen - 1000 residents

Formed for the betterment of Formed for the betterment of workersworkers

Community quickly fell apartCommunity quickly fell apartOwenism survived beyond New Owenism survived beyond New

HarmonyHarmony

Brook Farm - 1841Brook Farm - 1841

Experimental community in Mass. Experimental community in Mass. Formed by TranscendentalistsFormed by TranscendentalistsAlternative to competitive Alternative to competitive

commercial life of citiescommercial life of citiesMecca for renowned writersMecca for renowned writersDisbanded in 1849 - never > 100 Disbanded in 1849 - never > 100

residentsresidents

Oneida Colony, NY - 1848Oneida Colony, NY - 1848

Founded by John Humphrey NoyesFounded by John Humphrey NoyesMost radical but long livedMost radical but long livedPracticed “complex marriage”, birth Practiced “complex marriage”, birth

control, selective breeding, control, selective breeding, communismcommunism

Dissolved c. 1880Dissolved c. 1880

The ShakersThe Shakers

Led by Mother Ann Lee in Lebanon, NyLed by Mother Ann Lee in Lebanon, NyHostile to materialismHostile to materialismShaker furniture a hallmark of the Shaker furniture a hallmark of the

groupgroupShaker movement peaked in 1820’sShaker movement peaked in 1820’s

A woman’s sphereA woman’s sphere

Catherine Beecher and “domestic Catherine Beecher and “domestic economy”economy”

““The cult of domesticity”The cult of domesticity”Socially assigned roles for men and Socially assigned roles for men and

women persistwomen persist

The Legal Status of WomenThe Legal Status of Women

Legal status of women largely Legal status of women largely unchanged since the Revolutionunchanged since the Revolution

No suffrage on a national levelNo suffrage on a national levelSubordinate to husbandSubordinate to husbandOrigin of women’s rights movement Origin of women’s rights movement

- abolition- abolition

The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848

Organized by Lucretia Mott and Organized by Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady StantonElizabeth Cady Stanton

Issued the Declaration of Sentiments Issued the Declaration of Sentiments based on Dec. of Ind.based on Dec. of Ind.

Argued that laws placed women “in a Argued that laws placed women “in a position inferior to that of men”position inferior to that of men”

Convention an important step in the Convention an important step in the Women’s Rights MovementWomen’s Rights Movement

Susan B. AnthonySusan B. Anthony

A Quaker active in temperance and A Quaker active in temperance and abolition groupsabolition groups

Joined women’s rights cause in Joined women’s rights cause in 1850s1850s

Labored alongside Stanton in the Labored alongside Stanton in the crusade for women’s rightscrusade for women’s rights

A long road to suffrageA long road to suffrage

Progress toward voting rights is slowProgress toward voting rights is slowNo national right to vote until 1920 No national right to vote until 1920

with passage of the 19th Amendmentwith passage of the 19th AmendmentSome legal gains made, especially Some legal gains made, especially

regarding property ownership, wages, regarding property ownership, wages, and child custody.and child custody.

“Women’s Work”“Women’s Work”

Careers open to women were limitedCareers open to women were limitedPrimary fields were nursing and Primary fields were nursing and

teachingteachingDifficult for women to break into Difficult for women to break into

traditionally male professionstraditionally male professionsThose who did tended to excel Those who did tended to excel

beyond expectations of detractorsbeyond expectations of detractors