THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF RELIGION

THE PURSUIT OF PERFECTION AND DEMOCRATIZATION OF RELIGION 1800 -1850 Obj: To determine how & why reform movements arose in response to social and economic change & examine the impact of these movements on American society.

I. A CHANGING SOCIETY A. POPULATION � 1820 75% LABOR IN AG. / 1850 LESS THAN 65% IN AG � INEQUALITY OF WEALTH - FEW RAGS TO RICHES STORIES, � POVERTY SEEN AS POOR’S FAULT - SUCCESS W/I REACH OF ALL � IMMIGRATION OVERTAXED SYSTEM � FREE BLACKS FACED DISCRIMINATION � FORMED OWN CHURCHES – AME & RICHARD ALLEN 1816 � RELIGION BECAME UNIFYING FORCE FOR MANY � ROLE OF WHIGS & DEMOCRATS

B. THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING 1800 -1831 "in addition to eighteen Presbyterian ministers, Baptist and Methodist preachers also took part in the services which lasted for a week. A temporary village of tents, ‘laid off in regular streets’, was estimated to shelter between 10, 000 and 21, 000 people” � TOCQUEVILLE – RELIGION A POLITICAL INSTITUTION: RELIGIOUS IMPULSES REINFORCED DEMOCRACY & LIBERTY � POLITICS MADE AVAILABLE TO ALL SO MUST RELIGION � CAMP MEETINGS – 2 ND COMING NEAR & TIME TO REPENT � EMOTIONAL OUTLETS � CANE RIDGE, KY 1801

1. EASTERN REVIVALS & THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT 1820’s �. FATHER OF MODERN REVIVALISM CHARLES G. FINNEY DIFFERERD FROM 1 ST G. A. REVIVALS NOT WORK OF GOD BUT HUMANS EMOTIONAL RELEASE THROUGH PERSONAL TESTIMONY ACTIVE MIDDLE CLASS ALREADY IMPROVING SOCIETY MOST EFFECTIVE: SMALL TO MIDSIZED TOWNS STRONG & ACTIVE CHURCHES DEVELOP

2. LYMAN BEECHER � ACKNOWLEDGE SIN & SURRENDER TO GOD � SALVATION AVAILABLE TO ALL � INDIVIDUALS COULD OVERCOME DESIRE TO SIN � SERMONS NOT DOCTRINAL BUT ABOUT DAILY LIFE: TEMPERANCE � MADE RELIGION PERTINENT TO INDIVIDUAL’S LIFE � INDIVIDUALISM IN RELIGION JUST AS IN POLITICS

3. OTHER RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS a. UNITARIANS – JC LESS THAN FULLY DIVINE � FEW CONVERTS OUTSIDE OF NE � ATTRACTED WEALTHY & THEREFORE INFLUENTIAL � CRITICAL OF REVIVALS � AGREE HUMAN BEHAVIOR COULD BE CHANGED b. MORMONS � J. SMITH PALMYRA, NY – HOW CAN THEY ALL BE RIGHT? � APPEAL PARTLY DUE TO U. S. AT CENTER OF CHRISTIAN HISTORY � ORIGINAL AMERICAN RELIGION � MET W/ HOSTILITY � J. SMITH KILLED, B. YOUNG � SETTLED UTAH TERRITORY 1847

C. UTOPIAN SOCIETIES: THE SHAKERS & ONEIDA COMMUNITY � ANN LEE FOUNDER OF SHAKERS & THRIVED IN BURNED OVER DISTRICT � GENDER EQUALITY & CELIBACY � ONEIDA, NY � FREE LOVE & FLATWARE � UTOPIANS SOUGHT NEW PATH TO SPIRITUAL FULFILLMENT. � ATTACKED ESTABLISHED INSTITUTIONS � OTHER: NEW HARMONY, IN & BROOK FARM (LARGEST) FAILURES

d. TRANSCENDENTALISM UNIQUELY AMERICAN MATERIALISM STARTING IN 1830, � MARGARET FULLER – 1 ST FEMALE INTELLECTUAL � R. W. EMERSON: NATURE � THOREAU: CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE � W. WHITMAN: “I AM LARGER, BETTER THAN I THOUGHT. I DID NOT KNOW I HELD SO MUCH GOODNESS” PERSONIFICATION OF AMERICAN PEOPLE � U. S. COULD PRODUCE AS GREAT LITERATURE & ART AS EUROPE: NATIONAL IDENTITY � CRTICS OF SOCIETY: MEXICAN AMERICAN WAR & FUGITIVE SLAVE LAW; WOMEN’S ROLES CHALLENGE S RATIONALISM &

II. SEPARATE SPHERES WOMEN’S ROLE & INFLUENCE

A. CULT OF TRUE WOMANHOOD � 1. CATHERINE BEECHER, SPIRITUAL HEAD, EDUCATION TO FIT “NATURAL ROLE”, NO LONGER SUBORDINATE TO MEN @ HOME � WOMEN TARGETED IN REVIVALS � WOMEN HELD INFLUENCE AT HOME � FINNEY ACTIVELY USED WOMEN: RADICAL AT THE TIME � FORMED VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS REPLACED WHAT FAMILY USED TO DO � 2. CREATED BENEVOLENT EMPIRE A broad-ranging campaign of moral & institutional reforms inspired by evangelical Christian ideals & endorsed by upper-middle-class men & women from 1820 s -1830 s.

3. THE REFORMERS � WHITE, MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN � GENUINE DESIRE TO HELP � VOLUNTARY ASSOCIATIONS BECAME FORMAL � FEWER CHILDREN; 1800 7 – 1850 5 � MORE LEISURE TIME, $$, NO WORK OUTSIDE HOME � REFORM GAVE THEM OUTLET IN CHANGING SOCIETY � WHIG SUPPORT – GOVERNMENT INTERVENTION � LED TO IMMIGRANTS TO VOTE DEMOCRATIC � PERFECTABILITY OF HUMAN’S

III. REFORM MOVEMENTS � A. TEMPERANCE � ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION HIGH 1820’S � 1800 ASSOCIATION B/W ALCOHOL & LIVER DISEASE � AMERICAN TEMP. SOCIETY ’ 26 � NATIONWIDE PARTICIPATION � SUCCESS? INDEED, CONSUMPTION DECLINED � IMMIGRANTS OPPOSED � LYMAN BEECHER PROPONENT

B. ABOLITION MOVEMENT: “WITHOUT STRUGGLE THERE IS NO PROGRESS” “I AM IN EARNEST, I WILL NOT EQUIVOCATE, I WILL NOT EXCUSE, I WILL NOT RETREAT A SINGLE INCH AND I WILL BE HEARD” � 1. W. L. GARRISON: RADICAL � THE LIBERATOR 1831 � AMERICAN ANTI SLAVERY SOCIETY 1833 � 2 ND GREAT AWAKENING “SLAVERY IS IMMORAL” � 2. TAPPAN BROTHERS; $$$$ � 3. FREDERICK DOUGLASS 1838 � THE NORTH STAR 1847 � 4. H. TUBMAN, RUNAWAY ’ 49 � “MOSES” UNDERGROUND RR

C. WOMEN’S RIGHTS MOVEMENT OUTGROWTH OF PARTICIPATION IN ABOLITION � CAN’T ADVOCATE FOR SOMEONE ELSE’S FREEDOM IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANY � WLG SUPPORTED FULL EQUALITY FOR WOMEN – ANOTHER REASON � � � ABOLITION MOVEMENT WILL SPLIT WORLD ANTI-SLAVERY CONVENTION LONDON 1840, LUCRETIA MOTT DEBATE OVER AMERICAN DELEGATION RETURNED HOME & FORMED OWN MOVEMENT SENECA FALLS CONVENTION 1848 & DECLARATION & SENTIMENTS OF THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN – ELIZABETH CADY STANTON SUSAN B. ANTHONY, SOJOURNER TRUTH

D. EDUCATION E. SPECIAL INSTITUTIONS � H. MANN 1837 SEC. ED. MASS. � GALLAUDET 1817 � SOCIETY RESPONSIBLE � PERKINS INSTITUTE FOR � FREE & PUBLIC, TAXES � COMPULSORY, STANDARDIZED � MCGUFFEY READERS, PREP FOR FACTORY JOBS � NORTH, PROTESTANT FLAVOR, TYRANNY OF THE MAJORITY � POOR, IMMIGRANTS, FARMERS OPPOSED � SOUTHERN ED FOR WHITES WITH MONEY, PRIVATE TUTORS THE BLIND 1832 � PHILADELPHIA SYSTEM, SOLITARY � AUBURN SYSTEM, PENITENTIARIES, FOLD BACK INTO SOCIETY � DOROTHEA DIX: PRISON REFORM, SEPARATE MENTALLY ILL FROM CRIMINALS