AntebellumReformMovementsessays.docx
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AntebellumReformMovementsessays.docx
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AntebellumReformMovementsessays
ReformintheAgeofjackson
“Fromabout1825untiltheoutbreakofthecivilwarin1861,theatmosphereinthenationwasoneofreform”(Boardman,122).
Therewerefivemajorreformmovementspresentin19thcenturyAmerica.TherewastheUtopianism/CommunitarianMovement,whichestablishedanidealsocietyawayfrompresentpolitics.Educationalreformswereimportantinthefactofcreatingtaxestosupportthepublicschoolsystem,highereducationforadults,andmandatoryeducationandattendance.TheTemperanceMovementpreachedofabstinencefromalcoholandtheWoman’sRightsMovementwastoimprovethelifeofwomenpolitically,socially,andeconomically.Italsoincludedthestriveforwomen’ssuffragerights.Humanitarianismwasimprovingthelivesofthoselessfortunate.ThismovementalsoincludedandwascloselyrelatedtotheAbolitionMovement.
AgreatdealofthespirittoreformcouldbecreditedtotheEnlightenmentperiodofthe18thcentury,whichwasstillinfluentialinAmerica.Morerecentthough,wastheperiodofRomanticism,whichemphasizedthegoodnessofnatureandhumankind.“ToallthiswasaddedthedemocraticspiritofequalityandthegoalofUtilitarianism:
theachievementofthegreatesthappinessforth
AntebellumPeriodsandReforms
Ante-bellumPeriodandTheReforms
Theoverwhelmingnumberofreformsintheante-bellumperiodwasaresulttherapidchangethatwasoccurringaroundthecountry.Thesechangeswereseenineconomics,politicsandsociety.AmericansreactedinanationwidepanicwhichcreateddoubtsofthegoodnessofthechangesAmericawasgoingthrough.TheinstitutionandthenriseofthemarketeconomyandtheSecondGreatAwakeninghadthegreatesteffectonAmerica.TheeffectofthesetwothingsbroughtonmanyreformsbymanydifferentpeopleinvariousaspectsofAmerica.
Marketeconomyhadasignificantchangeinallpolitics,economics,andsociety.Themarketeconomyis"wheremenandwomengrewcropsandproducedgoodsforsaleathomeorabroad...Themoneythatindividualsreceivedfrommarkettransactions.....purchaseditemsfromproducedbyotherpeople."1Thissystemwasadevisedsoeachpersonfollowingcouldproducegoodsforaprofit.America'seconomywasprobablythemosteffectedoutofthethreecountryfunctions.MarketeconomystartedmanyimprovementsinAmericathroughindustrialization.NewinterventionsintransportationandtechnologyhadamajoreffectonthepaceinwhichAmericafunctioned.Tran
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Sectionalismgrewaspeople,inadditiontoothers,startedtoquestionslavery.Therefore,womanstartedtoseethattheywerenotconsideredequal.ThiscreatedtensionbetweenslavesandwhitesaswellasNorthandSouth.Womenwereallowedtoworkanditbecameincreasinglyeasierforwomentosupportthemselves.ThemarketeconomywasatimewhenmostofAmericaconcentratedontheeconomicgrowthofthecountry.Eventhoughthiseventwasmostlyreligious,itbroughtmanypeopletorealizationsaboutAmericaandaboutthemselves.Inpolitics,theriseofthemarketeconomywassupportedbyAmericangovernment.ManydifferenttypesofpeopletookonmajorrolesinthismovementespeciallyEvangelistsandwomen.The"workingforprofit"ideologynotablybroughtattentiontothediversifiedcountry.Thisrecognitionofeachgroupsdistinctionscreatedtensionsamongmanygroups.HenryDavidThoreaucalledAmerica'sgovernmentofthisperioda"machine".TheWhigswereinvolvedinmanykindsofreform,especiallyingovernmentreform.AstheNorthbecameprosperousthroughindustrialization,theSouthstillhadtheestablishmentofslavery.Asthesechangesincreased,sodidasignificantpartysplit.Thesereformersalsofeltunrepresented.
Reformmovements
movementsintheearlyandmidnineteenthcenturywerepopularinthestillinfantnationoftheUnitedStates.Asthecountrybecamemorestablepolitically,moreconcentrationwasplacedonfurtheringthequalityoflifeforallAmericancitizens.Asthereformmovementsbecamemorepopular,theyalsobecamemorefrequent,numerousandranginginsubject.Variousissues,mainlyslavery,religion,women’srights,immigrationandtemperance,controlledthesocialsettingof1825-1850.
Theinventionofthecottongin,andthebeginningofthecottonmovementintheSouthgreatlyincreasedthesupportanduseofslaveryinmanystates,whichledtothereformmovementsstartedbythoseopposingslavery.PrimarilyduetotheSecondGreatAwakening,manypeopleledapowerfulmovementagainstslaverycalledtheabolitionistmovement.OneofthemostinfluentialexamplesoftheabolitionistmovementisWilliamLloydGarrisonandhisnewspaper,TheLibera
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ThereformsshapednewpathsoflifeforthegenerationstocomeinAmericanhistory.Regardlessoftheresultofthesereformstheydidseektoachievethedemocraticidealsofequalityandsocialandeconomicjustice.Manypeoplewereconcernedthattheseimmigrantswerenotbetteringthecountryinanyway.PeoplefoundcomfortinknowingthatregardlessofthebackgroundGodwouldtakecareofthemandthatGoddecidedandblessedthelifeofeachandeveryperson(DocumentE).TheAmericanTemperanceSocietyadoptedmethodsusingdauntingimagesofdrunkennessanditsinevitableconsequences.Manywomenduringthistimenotonlyfoughtfortheirownrights,buttheywerealsoheavilyinvolvedinfightingforabolitionismandtemperance.Itwasbelievedthatdrinkingledtothedestructionofone’slifeonestepatatime(DocumentH).Althoughthemovementbeganwithvirtuousintentionsanddidhavesmallpositiveeffects,itsoonbecameobviousthatdrinkingcouldnotbelegislated.
Eachofthereformsmovementswerestartedbypeoplewhohadimmensepridefortheircountryandatrueyearningtobringjusticetosociety(DocumentF).tor,whichcontributedtremendouslytothespreadofantislaverybeliefs.Theystressedtheimportanceofresistancetotemptationofalcohol.Asthenationbegantogrow,massamountsofIrishandGermanimmigrantsbegananinfluxintothecountry.Thetemperancereformspromotedthesobrietyandmoralityofthecommunity.Theywishedtoobliteratetheviewofwomenaspropertyofthemen(DocumentI).
Transcendentalism
UnitariansofNewEnglandstartedtranscendentalism,whichpeakedduringthe1840's.RalphWaldoEmersonwastheforemostAmericanTranscendentalist.Hethoughtthatthephysicalworldwasminortothespiritualworldbutthephysicalworldservedsocietybyshowingsplendor,discipline,languageandbyprovidingcomedy.Healsobelievedintheideathatpeopleshouldeducatethemselvesasmuchastheycanaboutsciencethroughobservation.Emersonandhisfollowersbelievedinindividuality.Theythoughtthathumansshoulduncovertruthwithinthemselvesandtrustprimarilythemselves.Theythoughttofindoutwhatistrue,peoplemustresistpearpressureandsocialrulestodowhattheybelievewithin.ThetranscendentalistsbelievedpeopleshouldnotletthemselvesbetieddownbyChristianitybutfindgodintheirownway.
ThoughTranscendentalisminAmericainnowaybecameveryaccepted,itstillhadalargeaffectonsocietyandremainstoaffectsocietyandculture.TranscendentalistwritingshaveandwillcontinuetoinfluencespeoplenotjustintheUnitedStatesbutallthroughhumanityaswell.OtherleadingTranscendentalistsincludeBransonAlcott,MargaretFuller,TheodoreParker,andDavidHenryThoreau.
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MargaretFuller’seditorshipintheDialwasagoodsignthattranscendentalistwomenwerenowbeingheardandweredoingworkthataddedtotheirpoliticaleducation.Theirprotestswerethefinaldesperatestandsforindividualismandagainstconformity.Thetranscendentalistswererebelliousagainstthetyrannyofpossessionsandofhighlyorganizedsocialstructure.ElizabethPeabodyusedherfather’shouseasameetingplaceforthetranscendentalists.TheeffectsofTranscendentalismareseeninmodernchanges.Theantislaverymovementincreasedquestionsaboutfreedomandorderthatbroughtskepticismintranscendentalistthinking.AfterthepublicationofHenryDavidThoreau’s“CivilDisobedience,”heandmanyotherpeopleweredrawnintothestruggleagainstslavery.MargaretFullerfeltthatmenfailedtoseethesocialneedsmoreknownbywomen.
TranscendentalismbeganasareformfromtheUnitarianchurchandturnedouttobecomeasocialandintellectualmovement.
Transcendentalismleftmanylegaciesafterthemovementfadedaway.Thetranscendentalists’reformeffortsprovidedtolatersocialmovements,notablythedrivegiventoGandhiandtotheAmericancivilrightsmovementofthe1960sbyThoreau’sgroup.AsTranscendentalismwasbecomingmoreofasocialmovement,womenweremoreinvolvedinthetranscendentalistgroups.Theywerebeginningtoseethattoreachtheiroriginalgoals,theyhadtobecomesocialreformers.Transcendentalistauthorsleftmanyworksthatarestillreadtoday.ButRalphWaldoEmersonwastheonlyindividualwhopubliclyopposedslaverywithregularity.
Mid19thCenturyReform
nineteenthcentury[Antebellum]Americawasmarkedbyaperiodofunprecedentedsocialreforms.Asthenortherneconomybegantoturntowardindustrializationandthesoutherneconomycontinuedgrowingcottonasacashcrop,boundariesexpandedwestward.Inatimethatwasverysusceptibletorethinkingandreevaluating,peoplebegantoquestionthesystemsthathadbeenacceptedintheirsocietyforyears.Dozensofreformmovementswereformedtocombatproblemssuchasslavery,alcoholism,andwomen’srights.Themidnineteenthcenturyreformwasverymuchareality;itimpactedmanyfacesandaspectsoflivesinthemidnineteenthcentu
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