What hath God wrought?
In the mid 1800’s millions came from Europe in hope of a better life.
Some lived in cities…
Others migrated west…
Immigration: Why did they leave ? PUSH FACTORS Population growth (overcrowding) Crop failures Religious and political turmoil
Immigration: Why did they come? PULL FACTORS Freedom of religion and speech Economic opportunity Abundant land
Nineteenth century artists, writers and poets laid the foundation for American arts and literature
The American Way of Life: Literature and Art Hudson River School Influenced by a style of European art called romanticism – American artists began to focus on peaceful landscapes of forests, mountains and rivers.
Second Great Awakening Revival Meeting
Every person could be “saved” through revivals. The Second Great Awakening stimulated the establishment of many reform movements
Evangelical It is a religious movement that de-emphasizes ritual and emphasizes the importance of the individual, requiring him or her to meet certain active commitments, including: 1. The need for personal conversion (or being "born again”) 2. A high regard for biblical authority 3. An emphasis on teachings that proclaim the saving death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus Christ 4. Living according to a literal interpretation of the Bible
The Mormons (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) Joseph Smith ( ) 1823 Golden Tablets 1830 Book of Mormon 1844 Murdered in Carthage, IL
Violence Against Mormons
The Mormon “Trek”
The Transcendentalists Transcend: to rise above… society’s problems
The Transcendentalist Agenda abolish slavery provide well-being to the poor and the miserable. education for all improve quality of health care anti-war
Following One’s Conscience TRANSCENDENTALISM A philosophy that taught that the spiritual world was more important than the physical one. Thoreau taught about the importance of individual conscience, he urged people not to obey laws they considered unjust…
Civil Disobedience Can you think of any individuals who practiced civil disobedience to fight injustice?
Thoreau was not wrong… There would be many problems in this newly industrialized and ever growing country…several reform movements worked to improve American education and society reform movement: a group of people organized to improve what is bad or corrupt What are today’s reform movements? Who are today’s reformers?
Today’s issues
What problems existed in the 1800’s? American Society Women’s Rights Alcohol Abuse Care of the Mentally ill EducationSlavery
Who were the reformers?
What did they accomplish? The Temperance Movement What is today’s temperance movement? A campaign to stop the drinking of alcohol
Annual Consumption of Alcohol
Education Reform A woman’s place…
You owe a debt of gratitude to these two:
Care for the mentally ill What do these two have in common?
Utopian Societies Attempts to create communities free from social problems
Principles: Gender equality Education for all Communal living Healthy lifestyle Transcendentalism and/or Religion
The Shakers
Shaker Simplicity & Utility
Brook Farm West Roxbury, MA George Ripley ( )
The Abolitionists …none so famous as the one Lincoln referred to as the “little lady who started this whole mess…”
Others in the movement… Frederic Douglass Amelia Bloomer Susan B. Anthony & Elizabeth Cady Stanton The Grimke Sisters Sojourner Truth Lucretia Mott What do you notice about this group?
WHAT IF You could be beaten, severely, without any legal recourse. 2. You could not own property. 3. You had no right to your own inheritance. 4. You had no legal right to your children in the case of divorce 5. You could not own the copyright to your printed work 6. You could not get an education or choose a career. 7. If you did work, you could not keep your pay.
Ain’t I a Woman?
First things first…
The Birth of the Women’s Rights Movement Seneca Falls Convention 1848
Now it’s your turn