Ferment of Ferment of Reform, 1820-Reform, 1820-

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Second Great Awakening

Second Great AwakeningSecond Great Awakening• Early 19th Century religious revivals

– Calvinist reaction against rationalism– 1795, Reverend Timothy Dwight, president Yale

College began a series of campus revivals

• 1832, Presbyterian minister Charles Finney, upstate New York– More radical form of revivalism– Appealed to people’s emotions & fear– All were free to be saved through faith & hard work– Western New York “burned-over district” from “fire-

and-brimstone” revivals

Second Great AwakeningSecond Great Awakening• South

– Itinerant Baptist & Methodist preachers like Peter Cartwright

– 1850, Baptists & Methodists largest protestant denominations

• Millennialism– Widespread belief that world was about to end– William Miller

• Predicted world’s end on October 21, 1844• Millerites would become Seventh-Day Adventists

MormonsMormons• Founded by Joseph Smith, 1830, in NY

• Based on Book of Mormon

• Connected Indians to lost tribes of Israel– Gained followers moved from NY to OH, MO,

& IL where Smith was murdered

• Brigham Young moved Mormons to Utah

• Belief in polygamy set U.S. government against them

The TranscendentalistsThe Transcendentalists• Questioned the doctrines of established Questioned the doctrines of established

churches & capitalistic habits of merchant churches & capitalistic habits of merchant classclass

• Argued for a mystical & intuitive way of Argued for a mystical & intuitive way of thinking to discover one’s inner selfthinking to discover one’s inner self

• Looked for the essence of God in natureLooked for the essence of God in nature

• Challenged materialism; artistic expression Challenged materialism; artistic expression more important than pursuit of wealthmore important than pursuit of wealth

• Highly individualistic; viewed organized Highly individualistic; viewed organized institutions as unimportantinstitutions as unimportant

• Supported a variety of reforms; especially Supported a variety of reforms; especially antislaveryantislavery

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)1882)• Popular lecturerPopular lecturer

• Wrote essays & poemsWrote essays & poems

• Urged Americans not to imitate Urged Americans not to imitate European culture, but to create an European culture, but to create an American cultureAmerican culture

• His essays & poems argued for self-His essays & poems argued for self-reliance, independent thinking, & the reliance, independent thinking, & the primacy of spiritual manners over primacy of spiritual manners over material onesmaterial ones

• Leading critic of slavery & Union Leading critic of slavery & Union supporter during the Civil Warsupporter during the Civil War

Henry David Thoreau (1817-Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)1862)• Conducted 2-year experiment of Conducted 2-year experiment of

living in woods alone to discover living in woods alone to discover essential truths about lifeessential truths about life– Walden Walden (1854)(1854)

• Advocated non-violent protest in Advocated non-violent protest in essay “On Civil Disobedience”essay “On Civil Disobedience”– Sent to jail for refusing to pay a tax that Sent to jail for refusing to pay a tax that

might be used to fight an “immoral” warmight be used to fight an “immoral” war—the Mexican War (1846-1848)—the Mexican War (1846-1848)

Brook FarmBrook Farm• 1841, George Ripley, protestant minister1841, George Ripley, protestant minister

• Communal experiment on Brook FarmCommunal experiment on Brook Farm

• To achieve “a more natural union To achieve “a more natural union between intellectual and manual labor.”between intellectual and manual labor.”

• Some leading intellectuals lived thereSome leading intellectuals lived there– Emerson, feminist Margaret Fuller, & Emerson, feminist Margaret Fuller, &

Nathaniel HawthorneNathaniel Hawthorne

• Ended in 1849 after a bad fire & due to Ended in 1849 after a bad fire & due to heavy debtsheavy debts

Communal ExperimentsCommunal Experiments ShakersShakers

6000 members by 1840s6000 members by 1840s Held property in commonHeld property in common Men & women kept separate; marriage & sex forbidden Men & women kept separate; marriage & sex forbidden Died out by mid-1900s due to lack of membersDied out by mid-1900s due to lack of members

New Harmony, IndianaNew Harmony, Indiana Founded by industrialist & reformer Robert OwenFounded by industrialist & reformer Robert Owen Hoped to solve inequity & alienation caused by Industrial Hoped to solve inequity & alienation caused by Industrial

RevolutionRevolution Failed because of financial problems & disagreementsFailed because of financial problems & disagreements

Communal ExperimentsCommunal Experiments

Oneida, New YorkOneida, New York 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes1848 by John Humphrey Noyes Members shared property & marriage partnersMembers shared property & marriage partners Critics attacked as sinful experiment in “free love”Critics attacked as sinful experiment in “free love” Community prospered economically by producing high-Community prospered economically by producing high-

quality silverwarequality silverware Fourier Phalanxes, 1840sFourier Phalanxes, 1840s

French socialist Charles Fourier advocated sharing work & French socialist Charles Fourier advocated sharing work & living arrangements called Fourier Phalanxesliving arrangements called Fourier Phalanxes

Movement died out quicklyMovement died out quickly

Arts & Literature• Painting

– Genre painting—portraying the everyday life of ordinary people• George Caleb Bingham, William S. Mount• Thomas Cole, Frederick Church

– Hudson River School» Expressed romantic age’s fascination with

the natural world

• Architecture– American architects adapted classical

Greek styles to glorify the democratic spirit

Arts & Literature• Literature

– After War of 1812 American authors with American themes

– Washington Irving, James Fenimore Cooper, Nathanial Hawthorne, Herman Melville

Reforming Society

Temperance

1820 rate of alcohol consumption 5 gallons liquor/per person 1826 American Temperance Society founded

– Used moral arguments to persuade drinkers to take a pledge of total abstinence

1840 Washingtonians, recovering alcoholics– Argued alcoholism a disease that needed treatment

1840s over a million members of temperance societies German & Irish immigrants opposed but lacked political power 1851 Maine first of 13 states to prohibit liquor before Civil War Lost steam prior to and during Civil War Gained again in 1870s—Women’s Christian Temperance Union

– 18th Amendment in 1919

Reforms for the disabled & prisoners Dorothea Dix horrified that mentally ill were in

prison with criminals– Dedicated her life to improving life for mentally ill– 1840s she convinced many state legislatures to

build mental hospitals Thomas Gallaudet founded school for the

deaf Dr. Gridley Howe school for the blind Penitentiaries replaced prisons experimented

with solitary confinement, structure, & discipline

Public EducationPublic Education Horace Mann leader of the public Horace Mann leader of the public

school movement (MA)school movement (MA) Advocated improving schools, Advocated improving schools,

compulsory attendance, longer school compulsory attendance, longer school year, & better teacher preparationyear, & better teacher preparation

1840s movement for tax-supported 1840s movement for tax-supported schools spread to other statesschools spread to other states

William Holmes McGuffey William Holmes McGuffey McGuffey Readers textbooks that taught McGuffey Readers textbooks that taught

reading along with moral instructionreading along with moral instruction Extolled virtues of hard work, punctuality, & Extolled virtues of hard work, punctuality, &

sobrietysobriety Catholics started private schools in Catholics started private schools in

response to the Protestant tone of public response to the Protestant tone of public schoolsschools

Public EducationPublic Education

1830s Protestant denominations 1830s Protestant denominations founded several new collegesfounded several new colleges

Some colleges began accepting Some colleges began accepting womenwomen

Changing American Family

Changing American Family

Cities & industrialization changed roles of men & women

Men worked; women stayed home

Birthrate fell; size of families diminished

Cult of domesticityIdealized view of women as moral leaders in the home & teacher of children

Women’s rights movementWomen involved in anti-slavery movement discriminated against by men in the movement

Sarah & Angelina Grimke objectedAngelina wrote Letter on the Condition of Women and the Equality of the Sexes (1837)

Lucretia Mott & Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Seneca Falls Convention, NY (1848)1st women’s rights convention in U.S.

“Declaration of Sentiments”All men & women created equal

Listed women’s grievances

Women’s rights movement

Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony

Leaders after Seneca Falls

Equal voting, legal & property rights for women

1850s—Civil War women’s movement overshadowed by slavery

Antislavery MovementAntislavery Movement

American Colonization Society, American Colonization Society, 18171817

Free slaves & transport them to AfricaFree slaves & transport them to Africa Appealed to moderate antislavery Appealed to moderate antislavery

reformers & politiciansreformers & politicians Large number of whites wanted to Large number of whites wanted to

remove blacks from U.S. societyremove blacks from U.S. society 1822 established Monrovia, Liberia1822 established Monrovia, Liberia 1820-1860 12,000 blacks moved to 1820-1860 12,000 blacks moved to

Africa while # of slaves grew from 1.5 Africa while # of slaves grew from 1.5 to 4 millionto 4 million

American Antislavery American Antislavery SocietySociety

William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison – 1831 1831 The LiberatorThe Liberator– Beginning of the radical abolitionist Beginning of the radical abolitionist

movementmovement– Called for the immediate abolition of slaveryCalled for the immediate abolition of slavery

1833 Garrison & others founded 1833 Garrison & others founded American Antislavery SocietyAmerican Antislavery Society

Garrison burned Constitution as a Garrison burned Constitution as a proslavery documentproslavery document

Liberty partyLiberty party

Garrison’s radicalism led to a split in Garrison’s radicalism led to a split in the abolitionist movementthe abolitionist movement

1840 Liberty party was formed for 1840 Liberty party was formed for political action as opposed to a moral political action as opposed to a moral crusadecrusade– James Birney candidate for president, James Birney candidate for president,

1840 & 18441840 & 1844– One campaign pledge: to bring an end One campaign pledge: to bring an end

to slavery by political & legal meansto slavery by political & legal means

Black AbolitionistsBlack Abolitionists Escaped slaves & free blacks Escaped slaves & free blacks

outspoken critics of slaveryoutspoken critics of slavery– Frederick DouglassFrederick Douglass– Harriet TubmanHarriet Tubman– David RugglesDavid Ruggles– Sojourner TruthSojourner Truth– William StillWilliam Still

Many organized effort to assist Many organized effort to assist fugitive slavesfugitive slaves– Underground RailroadUnderground Railroad