Reform The Age of Reform Changing American Life in the 19 th Century

Revival – Frontier camp meeting to reawaken religious faith People came to hear preachers People came to hear preachers People came to pray, sing, weep, & shout Men & women became eager to reform their lives & the world Men & women became eager to reform their lives & the world…led to new reform movements

Many were spending most of their wages on alcohol Many were spending most of their wages on alcohol Reformers blamed alcohol for society’s problems Reformers blamed alcohol for society’s problems Poverty, breakup of families, crime, & insanity Poverty, breakup of families, crime, & insanity temperance Called for temperance little or no alcohol Drinking little or no alcohol Temperance crusaders used many methods Temperance crusaders used many methods Lectures, pamphlets, & revival-style rallies Lectures, pamphlets, & revival-style rallies states passed temperance laws banning manufacturing & sale of alcoholic beverages Many states passed temperance laws banning manufacturing & sale of alcoholic beverages

Industries & Labor Factory work was noisy, boring, & unsafe Workers organized for better conditions Example: Lowell girls went on strike in 1836 demanding lowered rent and better conditions Other workers called for shorter hours and higher wages In 1835 & 1836, 140 strikes took place in the eastern U.S. Seal for the Knights of Labor, first organized union in America

"Convinced that the people are the only safe depositories of their own liberty, and that they are not safe unless enlightened to a certain degree, I have looked on our present state of liberty as a short-lived possession unless the mass of the people could be informed to a certain degree." - Thomas Jefferson, 1805 Only New England provided free elementary school Others had to pay or send to schools for the poor – some refused out of pride Some communities had no schools Some communities had no schools at all Illegal in the south to teach slaves to read feared a rebellion by educated slaves Southerners feared a rebellion by educated slaves Area where Pilgrims & Puritans settled (placed a premium on education)

Leader of education reform Leader of education reform Horace Mann Horace Mann Massachusetts Board of Education Massachusetts Board of Education offered many ideas to promote higher learning He offered many ideas to promote higher learning and increase opportunities Lengthened school year to 6 months Lengthened school year to 6 months Improved the curriculum Improved the curriculum Doubled teacher’s salaries Doubled teacher’s salaries Developed better teacher training methods Developed better teacher training methods Three basic principles of public education (by the 1850’s) Three basic principles of public education (by the 1850’s) Should be free & supported by taxes Should be free & supported by taxes Teachers should be trained Teachers should be trained Children should be required to attend school Children should be required to attend school

The English School of Boston, first public high school in America

Dorothea Dix – Dorothea Dix – Discovered mentally ill often received no treatment Discovered mentally ill often received no treatment Often times they were chained or beaten Often times they were chained or beaten like criminals Treated like criminals traveled behalf of the mentally ill She traveled around the country on behalf of the mentally ill Reforming mental hospitals Others tried to help people with other disabilities Others tried to help people with other disabilities Deaf/Blind Deaf/Blind Others tried to improve prisons Others tried to improve prisons

Abolitionist Abolitionist Reformers worked to abolish, or end, slavery Reformers worked to abolish, or end, slavery American Colonization Society American Colonization Society 1 st large-scale antislavery effort 1 st large-scale antislavery effort Resettling black Americans in Africa by raising money and settle a colony in Africa called Liberia Resettling black Americans in Africa by raising money and settle a colony in Africa called Liberia They did not want to go back to Africa They did not want to go back to Africa Slaves wanted to be free in American society Slaves wanted to be free in American society

William Lloyd Garrison William Lloyd Garrison White abolitionist who called for the “immediate & complete emancipation” White abolitionist who called for the “immediate & complete emancipation” The Liberator The Liberator leading antislavery newspaper Country’s leading antislavery newspaper Frederick Douglass Frederick Douglass black abolitionist/former slave Most widely known black abolitionist/former slave Edited an antislavery newspaper called the North Star Edited an antislavery newspaper called the North Star Counseled Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War Counseled Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War Sojourner Truth Sojourner Truth Used personal narratives and worked for abolitionism & women’s rights/former slave Used personal narratives and worked for abolitionism & women’s rights/former slave Southerners fought abolition continuously Southerners fought abolition continuously

Underground Railroad Underground Railroad Network of escape routes from the South to the North Network of escape routes from the South to the North Traveled through the night on foot Traveled through the night on foot Harriet Tubman Harriet Tubman famous conductor of the Railroad Most famous conductor of the Railroad

Many improve the lives of women Many wanted to improve the lives of women Lucretia Mott Lucretia Mott Quaker women who lectured in Philadelphia Quaker women who lectured in Philadelphia Spoke for temperance, peace, worker’s rights, & abolition Spoke for temperance, peace, worker’s rights, & abolition Elizabeth Cady Stanton Elizabeth Cady Stanton Worked with Lucretia Mott Worked with Lucretia Mott

Susan B. Anthony Susan B. Anthony Daughter of a Quaker abolitionist Daughter of a Quaker abolitionist Called for equal pay & coeducation Called for equal pay & coeducation Special contribution – give married women rights to their own property and wages Special contribution – give married women rights to their own property and wages Seneca Falls Convention Seneca Falls Convention Declaration of Sentiments Declaration of Sentiments Mott, Stanton, & others for women’s equal rights Mott, Stanton, & others called for women’s equal rights rights unanimous except women’s suffrage All rights were unanimous except women’s suffrage