reform and utopian movements

Reform Movements and Reform Movements and Utopian SocietiesUtopian Societies

Questions for today:Questions for today:

How did 19How did 19thth-century -century Americans seek to Americans seek to improve their improve their society? society?

How were their How were their efforts at odds with efforts at odds with one another?one another?

OutlineOutline

1) Growing Middle Class 1) Growing Middle Class

2) Second Great Awakening2) Second Great Awakening

3) Middle-class reform:3) Middle-class reform:

- Temperance- Temperance

- Stop prostitution - Stop prostitution

4) Utopian communities: 4) Utopian communities:

New Harmony, Indiana New Harmony, Indiana

Brook Farm, Mass.Brook Farm, Mass.

Oneida, NYOneida, NY

1. Growing Middle Class1. Growing Middle Class

Work ethic: sober, Work ethic: sober, reliablereliable

Cult of Domesticity: Cult of Domesticity: Women as moral Women as moral guardiansguardians

Separate spheresSeparate spheres

Godey’s Lady’s Book (1850, 1851)Godey’s Lady’s Book (1850, 1851)

2. Second Great Awakening2. Second Great Awakening

Charles B. Finney,Charles B. Finney,Evangelical preacherEvangelical preacher

PerfectionismPerfectionism

Conformity through Conformity through reformreform

Only moral standard: Only moral standard: Protestant middle Protestant middle classclass

3. Middle Class Reform: 3. Middle Class Reform: Temperance MovementTemperance Movement

Alcoholism causes domestic violenceAlcoholism causes domestic violence

Techniques of revivalismTechniques of revivalism

““The Temperance “The Drunkard’sThe Temperance “The Drunkard’sHome” (1850) Home”Home” (1850) Home”

The BottleThe Bottle (1848) (1848)

Successes of Temperance Movement:Successes of Temperance Movement:

Reduced alcohol consumptionReduced alcohol consumption

Helped fight violence against womenHelped fight violence against women

Women engaged in public activityWomen engaged in public activity

Crusade against ProstitutionCrusade against Prostitution

Female Moral Reform SocietyFemale Moral Reform Society

Attacked the sexual double standardAttacked the sexual double standard

Homes of RefugeHomes of Refuge

Causes: poverty and male demandCauses: poverty and male demand

4. Utopian communities4. Utopian communities

1820-1860: wide range of experiments1820-1860: wide range of experiments

Liberal: reform can reduce the worst Liberal: reform can reduce the worst aspects of capitalism (poverty)aspects of capitalism (poverty)

Radical: capitalism has flaws that reform Radical: capitalism has flaws that reform cannot fix. A new society is needed. cannot fix. A new society is needed.

New Harmony, Indiana, 1825-1827New Harmony, Indiana, 1825-1827Robert Owen Frances WrightRobert Owen Frances Wright

New Harmony, IndianaNew Harmony, Indiana

Cooperation, not Cooperation, not competitioncompetition

Full racial equalityFull racial equality

No marriage. “Free No marriage. “Free love”love”

Make birth control Make birth control and divorce availableand divorce available

Brook Farm, Mass., 1841-1846Brook Farm, Mass., 1841-1846

Both intellectual and Both intellectual and manual labormanual labor

Transcendentalism:Transcendentalism:– Reality above Reality above

everyday liveseveryday lives

IndividualismIndividualism

Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson

Mystical unity of Mystical unity of naturenature

An original relation An original relation to the universeto the universe

Self-reliance (not Self-reliance (not organized religion)organized religion)

Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau

““To live deliberately” To live deliberately”

Individualism: a Individualism: a different drummerdifferent drummer

What is a life well What is a life well lived?lived?

Oneida Community, NY, 1848-1881Oneida Community, NY, 1848-1881John Humphrey NoyesJohn Humphrey Noyes

PerfectionismPerfectionism

Complex marriagesComplex marriages

Outside the lawOutside the law

Strict rules about Strict rules about sexsex

Oneida: children’s houseOneida: children’s house

Oneida: mansionOneida: mansion

Oneida: group photoOneida: group photo

Noyes in later yearsNoyes in later years

Oneida SilverwareOneida Silverware

A vast array of proposalsA vast array of proposals

Middle-class values: self-discipline, workMiddle-class values: self-discipline, work

Self-determination (free love, no racism)Self-determination (free love, no racism)

Complete individualismComplete individualism

Authoritarian structures Authoritarian structures

Competing assumptions about human Competing assumptions about human naturenature