Sarah Du
Mrs. Driscoll
AP US History
24 November 2017
The 19th century was the century of reform. The Second Great Awakening was a major catalyst, influencing a major democratic idea of perfectionism, or the idea that improvement could always be achieved no matter the level of perfection. Reform movements that occurred from 1825 to 1850 such as the abolitionist and women’s rights movements promoted equality and the idea that liberty was an entitlement. Other initiatives, such as the religion, asylum, and education movements, promoted the idea of perfectionism and contributing to a productive American society. On the other hand, the nativist and temperance movements sought to limit citizens’ rights and government authority, which were key components of democracy.
Reforms such as the institution movement criticized the scarcity of institutions in American society. Because punishment systems before the 1830’s consisted of unconventional and non-institutional forms of justice such as whipping for crimes, institutional experiments such as the Auburn system in New York sought to enforce punishment through regulation and social advancement programs. Likewise, the Fourth Annual report of the Society for Reformation of Juvenile Delinquents in the City of New York in 1829 stated that “[juvenile delinquents were rescued] from vice and [rendered] valuable members of society… yet, till the House of refuge was established there was no alternative” (document A). The institutions established contributed to the expansion of moral advancement as a democratic reform.
Moreover, the temperance movement sought to reform the social norms of American society during 1825-1850. Charles G. Finney stated in 1834 that “when the churches are… awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow”, indicating that the reformation of churches through social advancement and moral education would “[awaken and convert]… harlots, and drunkards, and infidels” to become a virtuous citizen of society (document B). The American Temperance Society also used the tactic of moral suasion and portrayed drinking alcohol as morally inappropriate. The illustration “The Drunkards Progress From The First Glass To The Grave.” published in 1846, portrayed the worsening conditions of an alcoholic. Thus, moral suasion contributed to the temperance movement, which sought to improve the lives of citizens through ethicality.
The abolition movement also sought to expand democratic ideals through equality. An example of abolitionist propaganda is the engraving by Patrick Reason (document C). Abolitionists such as Nat Turner, who led a revolt against white slaveowners in Virginia, and William Lloyd Garrison, author of The Liberator, fought to challenge the idea of antislavery and criticized American societal norms in regards to slavery. Similarly, Patrick Reason’s engraving of a female slave. Published in 1835, the woman was pictured chained to the ground and kneeling, asking “Am I not a Woman and a Sister?” This illustrated that African Americans, especially women, were viewed as subservient minorities (document C). The chain reveals that slaves were held captive. The question suggests that slaves should be viewed to be the equal uf white women and sisters. Thus, the abolition movement resulted in the expansion of democracy in which freedom was considered a right.
Although many women were at the forefront of the reform movements, such as abolition, they lacked acknowledgement for their actions. Many white and educated Anglo-Saxon Protestant women argued that it was unjust to allow illiterate Irish immigrants the right to vote before them. The cult of domesticity also contributed to reform, as the well-educated women who did not have much to do in their households worked to change the domestic sphere. The Seneca Falls Declaration, published on August 2, 1848, at the Seneca Falls Convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton states, “We are assembled to protest against a form of government, existing without the consent of the governed—to declare our right to be free as man is free” (document I). Thus, the Seneca Falls Convention was a catalyst for fighting for women’s rights outside of the private sphere and the expansion of democratic ideals.
The education movement sought to create free public schools and education for social advancement, mainly for the poor because they had limited access to education previously. Horace Mann created common schools that advocated for free education that emphasized social advancement, discipline, and morality that trained the future of American society. In an excerpt from William H. McGuffey’s Reader, published in 1836, reveals an exemplary model of the moral upbringing of a young boy: “when he has finished his lessons, he does not stay to play, but runs home; he wants to see his father and mother and to help them… ” (document E). The idea of a better life through education was a cause in the expansion of American democracy.
Last but not least, social utopian communities sought to challenge American social norms and form their communities with their own government. Utopias such as the Oneidas, Shakers, and Brook Farm sought to restore social harmony through socialism and communism. For example, the Constitution of the Brook Farm Association, published in 1841, was created “in order to more effectually promote the great purposes of human culture… [and] to substitute a system of brotherly cooperation for one of selfish competition” (document F). While the utopian experiments did not last, they removed emphasis of competition among citizens as a form of efficient living and communal support, thus reforming the social norms of American society.
On the other hand, the idea of nativism did nothing to expand the democratic ideals of American society. While many Irish and German immigrants were Catholic, the majority of other members of society were Protestant. In 1835, Samuel F.B. Morse even argued in Imminent Dangers to the Free Institutions of the United States that “naturalization has become the door of entrance not alone to the ever welcome lovers of liberty, but also for the priest-ridden troops of the Holy Alliance” (document D). The conflict was that while the non-immigrants were of the Protestant religion and approved of temperance, Irish and German immigrants approved of alcohol and practiced Catholicism. Therefore, two contrasting cultures resulted in a fear that American society would convert to Catholicism and that the immigrants would dominate the existing culture, so the rights of immigrants was limited.
To conclude, American democratic ideals were expanded and reformed through institutions, religion, abolition, women’s rights, education movements and utopian societies, but were also stagnated through nativist movements from 1825-1850. Stimulated by the Second Great Awakening and the urge for social and moral advancement, many reform movements improved the ethical lives of citizens. Although many reform movements during the period of 1825-1850 were not successful in achieving their goals, they spurred the urge for renovation among American social norms during that era.