Reform The Spirit of Reform improvement or change for the better Organized attempts to improve conditions of life

The Reform Movement Read Chapter 21 on pages 120-124. Be sure to read everything on the page…margins, picture captions and sidebars. Make a list of 20 facts from the reading. You can include additional facts. Write a summary of the chapter. This should be at least three complete sentences.

Temperance Movement Many reformers supported an organized effort to end alcohol abuse and the problems created by it. Reformers considered alcoholism a major cause of crime Alcohol was cheap but lead to increases in crime, poverty and abuse of women and children

Temperance Movement Some workers took rum breaks similar to today’s coffee breaks Requested a statewide or nationwide prohibition, or banning of liquor (sale and consumption)

New Prison System- early 1800’s Prisons had traditionally been harsh places, designed to keep people out of them. Prisons were poorly heated, prisoners had inadequate food and cramped conditions Realized that mistreatment of prisoners did little to improve the character of criminals America imprisons 756 inmates per 100,000 residents, a rate of nearly five times the world’s average About 1 in every 31 adults in this country is in jail or on supervised release. Either we are the most evil people on earth or we are doing something very wrong 2.3 million people in US prison ( about 8% of our population) 38% of prison population – drug offenses Spend $68 billion per year

New Prison System- early 1800’s Shifted focus from punishment to rebuilding character House of Refuge- opened for the very young offenders – learned trades, attended classes and received religious instruction

Educational Reform – 1830’s Reformers proposed raising the standards of schools across the nation and supporting them with taxes Massachusetts was the only state to require public education. Children from wealthy families were educated privately, whereas poor children received no education outside the home

Educational Reform – 1830’s Voters needed a good education to make sound decisions Started “Common Schools” – free (or tax supported) public schools Horace Mann – concerned about poor children who could not afford private schools

Educational Reform – 1830’s School year extended to 6 months Started teacher training No requirement for attending school Most student’s education ended with the eighth grade Girls received only a basic education – some only learned morals and manners rather than science and math

Educational Reform – 1830’s Improvements in public education did little for African Americans. Southern states prohibited teaching enslaved persons to read Few places offered any kind of education to African Americans. Two colleges allowed African Americans to attend: Amherst and Bowdoin College Amherst- massachusetts Bowdoin- maine