chapter 15 new movements in america (1815-1850). chapter 15 new movements in america (1815-1850)...
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The Second Great Awakening Started in mid-1790s
Spread through upstate New York and frontier regions of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and South Carolina
In 1820s and 1830s it spread to New England, the Appalachians, and the South
Charles Grandison Finney – one of the most important leaders Challenged some traditional Protestant beliefs Each individual responsible for own salvation; sin = avoidable Angered some traditional ministers
Church membership grew a great deal Many new members = women Some African Americans became Baptist, Methodist or Presbyterian
ministers African Methodist Episcopal Church (founded by
Richard Allen of Philadelphia) spread across mid-Atlantic states
Transcendentalism and Utopian Communities Transcendentalism – belief that people could transcend, or
rise above, the material things in life, such as money and personal belongings
People should depend on themselves instead of outside authority
Ralph Waldo Emerson wanted people to follow personal beliefs and use own judgment – “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think” (in “Self-Reliance”)
Margaret Fuller said that women had the right to choose their own paths in life
Henry David Thoreau believed in self-reliance and did not trust institutions
Some transcendentalists experimented with utopian communities Brook Farm, Massachusetts (1840s) Tried to form a perfect society on Earth Some formed as places to practice their religious beliefs
Ann Lee – community of Shakers (named because their bodies would shake during worship) Did not believe in private ownership of property, lived very plain lifestyle
The American Romantics Ideas about spirituality, the simple life, and
nature also shaped painters and writers Drew upon the idea that each individual brings
a unique perspective to the world Thomas Cole painted American landscape Example of romantic literature – Nathaniel
Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Herman Melville– former sailor, wrote tales of the sea, ex. Moby-Dick
Edgar Allan Poe – best known for his short stories and poetry (ex. “The Raven”)
Gifted American poets – Emily Dickinson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Walt Whitman Longfellow – best known American poet of mid-1800s Dickinson published only two poems during her lifetime
Waves of Immigrants More than 4 million immigrants settled in U.S. between 1840
and 1860 More than 3 million of these were Irish or German
Irish came to U.S. during potato famine – approx. 1 million died of starvation and disease Catholic, very poor Settled in towns and cities in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New
York, and Pennsylvania Those who did not live in cities worked on building canals and
railroads Irish women worked as domestic servants for wealthy families;
men could usually only find unskilled work Germans came to U.S. to escape persecution under
harsh ruler and for new economic opportunity Protestants, Catholics and Jews Many arrived with money More likely to become farmers and live in rural areas Moved to Midwestern states such as Michigan, Ohio and
Wisconsin Often had to take low-paying jobs despite their skill
The Nativist Response
American labor force changed by industrialization and waves of people from Europe
Industrial jobs in northeast drew many immigrants who filled need for cheap labor Fueled local economies, led to the creation of new jobs for
clerks, merchants, supervisors, and professional workers Nativists – Americans who opposed immigration
Native-born citizens feared losing jobs to immigrants who might work for lower wages
Also felt threatened by different cultures and religions Before Catholic immigrants arrived, most people in U.S. were
Protestant American Protestants did not always trust Catholic immigrants because
of long-standing conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Europe
The Nativist Response
Know-Nothing Party founded by nativists in 1849 Called this because if asked questions by
outsiders, members usually answered “I know nothing”
Wanted to keep Catholics and immigrants out of public office
Wanted immigrants to live in U.S. 21 years before becoming citizens
Won several state elections during 1850s
The Growth of Cities U.S. cities grew rapidly during the mid-1800s
Industrial Revolution – drew immigrants as well as migrants from rural areas
Transportation Revolution – connected cities, made it easier for people to move to them
Rise of industry and growth of cities changed American life Business owners and skilled workers benefited the most Middle class emerged – merchants, manufacturers,
professionals, and master craftspeople People found entertainment and enriched cultural
life in cities Libraries, clubs, theaters
Cities = compact and crowded Most walked to work Streets paved with stones
Urban Problems Public and private transportation was limited, most people
lived a short distance from workplace Poor wage workers, rising middle class, and wealthy
often lived near each other Disagreements between social classes often led to conflict,
sometimes riots Lack of safe housing and public services
Tenements – dirty, overcrowded buildings where many (especially immigrants) lived
No clean water, public health regulations, or clean ways to get rid of garbage and human waste, diseases spread rapidly
Centers of criminal activity No permanent police force to fight crime, used volunteer night
watches Fire protection often poor as well
Introduction
Teachings of 2nd Great Awakening inspired many to improve society
Growth of cities caused problems that many wanted to correct
Growing middle class, especially women led reform movements – they had free time
Prison Reform Dorothea Dix visited prisons throughout Massachusetts
and reported terrible conditions Gave speech to legislature about how mentally ill often
jailed with criminals Government of Massachusetts created special, separate
facilities for mentally ill people Influence spread around country, more than 100 state
hospitals were built for mentally ill people to receive professional care
Some reformers protested treatment of young offenders Children arrested for begging or stealing often treated as adults 1820s, several state and local governments founded reform schools
for children who were once housed in prison Efforts to end overcrowding and cruel conditions in
prisons resulted in houses of correction – used punishment and tried to change prisoners’ behavior through education
Campaigning Against Alcohol Abuse
Many believed Americans were drinking liquor at an alarming rate During 1830s, average alcohol consumption per person
was seven gallons a year Believed alcohol abuse caused social
problems such as family violence, poverty and criminal behavior
Temperance movement – social reform effort urging people to stop drinking hard liquor and limit drinking of beer and wine to small amounts American Temperance Society and American
Temperance Union Some did not believe temperance was sufficient –
wanted to see ban of the sale of alcohol
Education in America Poor public education Reformers believed that education would help
Americans become good workers and citizens (fueled by immigration)
Many families believed education was important but did not expect children to receive a lot of formal education Generally wanted children to be able to read Bible, write
and do simple math Availability of education varied a great deal
throughout the U.S. New England had the most schoolhouses South and West had fewest School-teachers – untrained young men
Education in America (continued)
Textbooks most often used = McGuffey’s Readers – put together by William McGuffey an educator and Presbyterian minister Made up mostly of British and American literature Teach students about moral and social values as well
as literature and reading People of different backgrounds received
different educations Rich could send their children to private schools or hire
private tutors Poor children could only attend public school
The Common-School Movement
Common-school movement wanted all children educated in a common place, regardless of class or background
Horace Mann = leading voice for education reform Became first Secretary of Education for
Massachusetts in 1837 Doubled the state school budget and helped teachers
earn better salaries Made the school year longer and founded first school
for teacher training His work set the standard for education reform
throughout the country
Women’s Education Catherine Beecher became one of the most
effective reformers of women’s education in the early 1800s Believed women were better at teaching moral lessons
that made good citizens Started an all-female academy in Hartford, Connecticut
Emma Willard founded college-level institution for women in New York Troy Female Seminary = first school of its kind in U.S. Studied subjects ranging from math to philosophy
Several women’s colleges opened in the 1830s Mount Holyoke Seminary in Massachusetts founded
by Mary Lyon Oberlin College in Ohio was the first co-ed college in
the U.S. (both women and men)
African American Schools Free African Americans also enjoyed some benefits of
education reform Almost always went to separate schools from white
students New York African Free School – opened in NYC in 1787 Philadelphia supported development of African American
education By 1800, 7 schools for black students
In Boston (1855) African Americans were allowed to attend white schools
African Americans rarely attended college because only a few institutions of higher education would accept them Oberlin the first to do so in 1835; Harvard later
In the South, fewer free African Americans were able to obtain an education Laws in South prevented most slaves from receiving education (due
to southern whites’ fears of potential slave rebellions)
Teaching People with Disabilities
Samuel Gridley Howe worked to improve education of visually impaired Americans Also worked for education reform, prison reform and
care for mentally ill people Perkins Institution – Massachusetts – for people
with visual impairments
Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet worked to improve education of hearing impaired Founded first free American school for people with
hearing impairments in Hartford, CT
Abolition Abolition = complete end to slavery in U.S. Emancipation – all African Americans freed from
slavery Abolitionists were a minority but very vocal Quakers – first group to challenge slavery on religious
grounds; started during colonial times Abolitionists disagreed about what ending slavery
would mean for African Americans Treated same as white Americans Opposed full social and political equality Send freed African Americans to Africa to start new colonies there
Robert Finley started the American Colonization Society in 1817 Founded Liberia on west coast of Africa Approx. 12000 eventually settled there
Spreading the Abolitionist Message Went on speaking tours, wrote newspaper articles and
pamphlets Horace Greeley (editor) – strong voice for movement in
the New York Tribune William Lloyd Garrison published The Liberator, an
abolition newspaper Outspoken, controversial Helped found American Anti-Slavery Society – wanted
immediate emancipation and racial equality for African Americans
Amer. Anti-Slavery Society split in 1840 Two groups disagreed over role of women in the abolition
movement Angelina and Sarah Grimké – members of slaveholding
family in SC, but they did not support slavery Moved to Philadelphia and joined the abolitionist movement
African Americans Fight against Slavery
Frederick Douglass escaped slavery at age 20 and became one of the most important African American leaders of 1800s Secretly learned to read and write when he was
younger Went on many speaking tours in U.S. and Europe
(supported by AASS) Published North Star – pro-abolition newspaper
Sojourner Truth – famous for dramatic speeches; former slave; later fought for women’s rights
The Underground Railroad
Created by free African Americans (former slaves) and a few white abolitionists
Network of people arranged transportation and hiding places for fugitives and escaped slaves
“stations” or stops along the “railroad” were homes of abolitionists (“conductors”)
Most famous conductor – Harriet Tubman She escaped in 1849, returned 19 times; led 300 plus
her family to freedom Historians estimate 40,000 slaves used
Underground Railroad to reach freedom (1810-1850)
Opposition to Abolition
Many white northerners did not believe in equal treatment for African Americans Warned free slaves would move north and take jobs
from white workers
U.S. House of Representatives used Gag Rule to prevent discussion of thousands of antislavery petitions received Violated 1st Amendment, but Southern delegates did not
want to discuss, Northern delegates wanted to avoid
Southerners argued slavery was a vital part of southern economy and culture
The Influence of Abolition
Female abolitionists became part of women’s rights movements of mid-1800s
Women had to defend right to speak in public Critics believed women should not give
public speeches, did not want women to leave traditional roles
Sarah Grimké argued for equal rights, equal educational opportunities
Women’s Rights Reform and abolition efforts led to the rise of the
women’s rights movement Took advantage of better educational opportunities Organized more effectively by working together in reform
groups Many activists upset because women could not vote Married women had little or no control over their own
property Many people (men and women) did not agree with
some goals Did not need new rights Not unequal to men, just different Work for change at home within families, not in public Some did not believe that women had physical or mental strength
to survive without men’s protection
The Seneca Falls Convention
Elizabeth Cady Stanton attended World’s Anti-Slavery Convention in London with her husband Women had to sit separately from men, could not participate William Lloyd Garrison broke rules by sitting with women –
wanted equal participation for all Seneca Falls Convention – organized by Stanton and
Lucretia Mott Began July 19, 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York Launched women’s rights movement Wrote Declaration of Sentiments (based on Declaration of
Independence) outlining beliefs about social injustice toward women
Frederick Douglass attended First time women organized as a group to promote rights
The Continuing Struggle
Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, and Stanton became the most important leaders of the women’s rights movement
Anthony brought strong organizational skills Largely responsible for turning it into a political
movement Argued women should receive equal pay and be
allowed to enter traditionally male professions Led campaign to change laws regarding women’s
property rights New York finally gave married women ownership of
their wages and property