Ch 8 Reforming American Society Section 1 The

Ch. 8 Reforming American Society

Section 1 The Second Great Awakening Reaction to Rationalism (belief in human reasoning) • Preach in easy to understand sermon • Individual responsibility for salvation

Examples of Religious Reform • Revivalism in New York- Presbyterian minister: Charles G. Finney. Appealed to emotions instead of rational (damnation) -Saved through faith and hard work Shakers- Believed in celibacy. Believed in equality among women and men Did not believe in fighting for any reason.

Culture: Ideas • Transcendentalists- Discovery of one’s inner self and looking for the essence of God in nature. • Challenged capitalism • Challenged Established churches

Transcendentalists • Ralph Waldo Emerson -Spoke on making our own American culture -Argued for- Self-reliance, independent thinking, spiritual matters over material, opposed slavery. • Henry David Thoreau- Two- year experiment in the woods. Wrote the book Walden. -Essay “On Civil Disobedience” – Non-violent protest.

Brook Farm (Vision of Utopia) • Attempt to live out transcendentalism • George Ripley (Protestant minister) • Experiment at Brook Farm in Massachusetts. • Many writers came to the farm for artistic creativity and schooling

Major Reforms Asylums and Prisons -Dorothy Dix- Help keep mentally ill out of jail. Education • Free common schools- Horace Mann led the charge for free public schools. Attendance requirement, Longer school year, and increased teacher preparation.

Section 2 Slavery and Abolition • Abolition- Outlaw slavery • William Lloyd Garrison- Radical white abolitionist. Created a paper called the Liberator calling for immediate freedom for slave based on morality. • David Walker- Free black, called for violent and active fighting for freedom by slaves. • Fredrick Douglass- Was a slave but ran away. Began his own newspaper called the North Star to help the political anti-slavery movement.

Slavery Rebellions Uprisings: - Charlestown- Denmark Vesey in 1822 -Virginia- Nat Turner in 1831 - Killed 60 whites • Quickly put down • Gave hope to slaves • Tightened slave codes. *Virginia Debate- Vote for abolition, loses 73 -58 Gag Rule- Limited debate on an issue by citizens.

Varieties of slavery Establish slave codes Slaves could not… -hold property -leave master’s premises without permission -be out after dark -carry firearm -congregate except for church -strike a white person, even in self-defense -learn to read or write -testify in court against whites -marry or divorce Enforcement was inconsistent

Section 3 Women and Reform • View of women in the mid-1800’s -Cult of Domesticity- Women do housework and tend to the children.

Reform • Sarah and Angelina Grimke- Spoke for abolition • Sojourner Truth- Abolition and women's rights. • Temperance Movement- Prohibit drinking of alcohol. Led to the formation of the American Temperance Society • Women education and health care improved

Seneca Falls Convention • 1848, New York- Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott held a women’s rights convention. • Wrote Declaration of Sentiments- Grievances for women’s rights and equality with men. • Inspired by? ? ?

Section 4 Changing Workplace • More women leaving the farm and working in textile mills • Shift from making things at home to factories • Lowell Mill- Unmarried women usually worked for low wages at these mills • Working conditions went from good to bad. WHY? • Led to strikes

Unions • National Trades’ Unions – Large collaboration of different individual unions • Supreme Court Case- Commonwealth v. Hunt • Decides unions and peaceful strikes are ok. • Unions still very ineffective

Increased Immigration Reasons for growth: • Strong Agriculture economy • Germans and Irish come -Irish: Potato famine -Germans: Economic dislocations