• In the early 1800s, a wave of interest in religion called the Second Great Awakening swept the nation. In this spirit of reform, some reformers called for temperance—drinking little or no alcohol. They warned people about the dangers of drinking.

• The religious movement led to a general reform movement. Horace Mann was an education reformer in Massachusetts, which was the first state to support “normal” schools to train teachers. Other reformers worked to expand education for women, African Americans, and people with disabilities.

• Dorothea Dix educated the public about terrible conditions in prisons. She had discovered that some inmates were suffering from mental illness.

• American writers and artists began to develop their own style. The transcendentalists wrote about the relationship between humans and nature and the importance of individual conscience. Other authors of the time such as Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Walt Whitman wrote poems that reflected American history and spirit. Artists, such as members of the Hudson River School, also explored purely American themes.

Section 2: The Abolitionists

• Early opposition to slavery had promoted gradual abolition of slavery. This movement had brought an end to slavery in the Northern states. It continued in the South, however. The reform movement of the early- and mid-1800s gave new life to the movement to outlaw slavery throughout the country.

• Around 1830, the antislavery movement gained new strength. Abolitionists used newspapers and other writing to spread their views. Many African Americans also worked to end slavery. Others organized meetings or published articles.

• Harriet Tubman was active in the Underground Railroad, which was a network of escape routes enslaved workers used to reach freedom in the North or Canada.

• At first, few Northerners supported abolition. They worried that freed enslaved workers would take away jobs in the North and would not blend into American society. Many Southerners opposed ending slavery, saying it would destroy their way of life.

Section 3 The Women’s Movement

• In 1848, reformers met at Seneca Falls, New York, to address women’s rights. The Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions that they passed called for an end to laws that discriminated against women. It also demanded that women be allowed to work at jobs typically held by men, such as in business.

• The reformers at the Seneca Falls Convention held a heated debate about whether women should have the right to vote. In the end, they included the demand for suffrage in the declaration.

• Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton led the women’s movement together. They worked for causes such as equal pay for women and for coeducation.

• Education reformers increased opportunities for women by founding schools for them. While schools continued to teach women traditional homemaking subjects, they also expanded their programs to include mathematics, science, history, and other courses.

• During the mid to late 1800s, women reformers worked to change many laws. They helped married women gain the right to own property and to seek divorce from their husbands. They also helped open jobs such as medicine and the ministry to women.

Load content from www.educandy.com?

Loading external content may reveal information to 3rd parties. Learn more

Allow

Load content from quizlet.com?

Loading external content may reveal information to 3rd parties. Learn more

Allow

Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.

Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (

CtrlP

) instead.