1. Democracy and Social Reform 4.4

2. Democracy vs. Republic  a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution.  a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority.  In the early 1800s many poor people felt like and in most cases they had no say in the government.  Many wanted more democracy and less republic.

3. Andrew Jackson  Westerners and poorer Americans eventually found their leader in Andrew Jackson.  Jackson was viewed as the “common man”.  He grew up poor and uneducated. As a result, he was very popular with settlers and common people.

4. Jacksonian Democracy  Was the brand of politics and changes that he made.  Believed in western expansion and rights of frontier settlers.  He resented the “eastern elites”.  He was in favor of Universal Suffrage: that all white men should be free to vote, not just those who owned property.  Jacksonian Democracy actually got almost all of the states to drop the property clause.

5. Social Reform Movement  Began in the 1800s  Aimed to transform government  Many of who participated were inspired by religious movements.

6. Second Great Awakening  Many Christian preachers traveled from revival to revival preaching the Gospel and calling on believers to become socially active and impact society through good works.  Second Great Awakening becomes motivation for many to become social reformers.

7. The Second Great Awakening “Spiritual Reform From Within” [Religious Revivalism] Social Reforms & Redefining the Ideal of Equality Temperance Asylum & Penal Reform Education Women’s Rights Abolitionism

8. The Abolitionist Movement  Group of people who were against slavery  Intiately seen as movement of fanatics.  However, over the course of years the movement gained more respectability with middle class educated people and church people.

9. Women’s Rights Movement  Women had participated in the abolitionist and temperance movements only to faced discrimination from the men with whom they’d served.  This was what gave birth to the women’s right movement.  Two key figures were: Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony

10. Seneca Falls Conference A conference supporting women’s rights in 1848. Elizabeth Cady Stanton attended the 1840 Anti- Slavery Convention and her experience led her to the struggle for women’s rights. In 1848, Quakers and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized a women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, NY. The Declaration of Sentiments is drafted.

11. Results of The Seneca Falls Conference  Educational and professional opportunities  Property rights  Legal equality  repeal of laws awarding the father custody of the children in divorce.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton publicly called for women to be given the right to vote (suffrage)