American History Chapter 3: An Emerging New Nation III. Religion and Reform

Bell Ringer What would be your ideal society? Would it have rules and standards? What kind of rules? What kind of values would it promote? Can you define abolitionism, suffrage, transcendentalism?

Objectives See how religion and philosophy affected the growing American reform movement. Learn about reform movements that emerged in the early 1800s. Find out how the antislavery movement arose and grew. Discover the ways in which women’s roles changed in the early 1800s Read about factors that caused growing social divisions in America. Illinois State Standards Met: STATE GOAL 16: Understand events, trends, individuals and movements shaping the history of Illinois, the United States and other nations. 16.D.5 (US) Analyze the relationship between an issue in United States social history and the related aspects of political, economic and environmental history 16.E.5a (W) Analyze how technological and scientific developments have affected human productivity, human comfort and the environment.

A) The Roods of Reform: Religion and Philosophy Charles Grandison Finney emphasized the power to reform yourself. Lyman Beecher taught good people will make a good country. 20)transcendentalism: “rise above” spiritual discovery and insight would lead a person to truths through reason Henry David Thoreau – people are good – be self- reliant and have courage to act on their own beliefs. Wrote Walden – book on living simply. Leader of the transcendentalists was Ralph Waldo Emerson – reformer started an American renaissance in literature – neighbor was Thoreau

B) Reform Movements 21)Temperance Movement: campaign to eliminate alcohol. Threatened family life 22)Abstinence: refraining from doing something Horace Mann in Massachusetts started tax supported free elementary education Dorothea Dix – Boston school teacher pushed for prison reform. Separate facilities and mental instructions. 23) Utopian communities: small societies dedicated to perfection in social and political conditions.

C) The Antislavery Movement 24)Abolitionist movement: movement to end slavery Sent freed slaves to Africa – Liberia William Lloyd Garrison – Boston abolitionist, editor of the Liberator – “I will be heard!” Fredrick Douglass – ex-slave – abolitionist – editor of the North Star 25)Underground Railroad: network of escape routes that provided protection and transportation for slaves fleeing north to freedom Harriet Tubman – “the Black Moses” 300 trips Elijah P. Lovejoy – Alton Illinois – abolitionist shot and killed defending his printing press

D) Women’s Changing Roles Middle class women became educated wanted to do more Lower class women worked for money – had to give to husband No suffrage, no property Became Abolitionists – both could not vote or hold public office Harriet Beecher Stowe: Uncle Tom’s Cabin 26)Senaca Falls Convention: first women’s right convention – Elizabeth Cady Stanton 27)Suffrage – right to vote Sojourner Truth – page 133

E) Growing Social Divisions Differences between North and South; rich and poor growing sharper Irish immigrants settled in the Northeast cities – cheap labor – no jobs in South – potato famine German immigrants settled in Midwest – failed rebellion 28)discrimination: unequal treatment of a group because of their nationality, race, sex, or religion

Review How did religion and philosophy affect the growing American reform movement? What reform movements emerged in the early 1800s? How did the antislavery movement arise and grow? In what ways did women’s roles change in the early 1800s? What factors caused growing social divisions in America?