CHAPTER 18

An Era of Reform

VOCABULARY Reformer – devoted themselves to

causes like women’s rights, education, and slavery

Second Great Awakening – a revival of religious feeling and beliefs in the 1820s and 30s

Public Schools – schools paid for by taxes

Abolitionists – those who favored ending slavery

Declaration of Sentiments – a formal statement of injustices suffered by women

RELIGIOUS MOVEMENTS The reform era came during The Second

Great Awakening Preachers told people they could get

forgiveness of their sins The message that people could earn

salvation by good works, prompted people to work to improve society

The movement inspired many women to become preachers and missionaries

OPTIMISTIC IDEAS Writers urged people to follow their

hearts and help others Henry David Thoreau said, “IF a man

does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music he hears.”

President Andrew Jackson was proof that people could rise to leadership and chance society for the better

THOREAU JACKSON

PRISONERS Dorothea Dix was a Sunday School

teacher at a jail. What she witnessed changed her life.

Inmates were bound in chains, children and adult criminals jailed together

Dix visited hundreds of prisons throughout Massachusettes

Over 75,000 prisoners were debtors, and most of them owed less than $20. Yet, couldn’t earn money while in jail, so they stayed in there for years.

MENTALLY ILL The mentally ill were treated as

“insane” and locked away in dirty, crowded prisons

If they misbehaved, they were whipped Dix believed that insanity should be

treated as a disease and not a crime MA had one asylum, which only the

wealthy could afford. Even so, it was overflowing

Asylums were much better than putting them in prison, but MA needed more!

HELP FOR MENTAL ILLNESS

Dix prepared a detailed report for the MA state legislature, and lawmakers agreed

Public asylums were created to help the mentally ill

Dix visited other states as well, demanding justice for the mentally ill, and was successful there also

Dix continued until she died in 1887 Dix demonstrated that reformers,

including women, could lead society to make changes

IMPROVING EDUCATION Horace Mann made the movement to

help more children get an education As a child, Mann attended school only

10 weeks a year, as he had to help on the family farm

Wealthy families sent children to private schools or hired tutors

On the frontier, there may be 60 students to a one room school

Teachers had very limited resources and received very little pay

EDUCATION FOR ALL In cities, poor children stole, destroyed

property, and set fires Reformers believed that an education

would help children escape poverty and become good citizens

New York was the first to set up public school

Mann became the education supervisor for MA, expressing the need for public schools

MA citizens voted to pay taxes to set up schooling, pay teachers higher salaries, and set up training for teachers

CONTINUING REFORM By 1850, many states in the north and

west used Mann’s ideas. Most white children, especially boys,

went to public school Still, much room for more reform, as

most high schools and colleges did not admit girls

African Americans had separate schools with less funding, if they were allowed to attend

Horance Mann saw much more was needed for equality of women and blacks

FIGHTING SLAVERY Abolitionists wanted to end slavery Although slavery ended in the North by the

early 1800s, many northerners still accepted southern slavery

Arguments over how to end slaveryPeaceful?Revolt?

Both blacks and whites worked in the abolitionist movements

William Lloyd Garrison started a newspaper called the Liberator, and spoke truth against slavery

FREDERICK DOUGLASS Quickly became a leader in the

abolitionist movement, being an escaped slave himself

Spoke of cruel treatment of slave children and told stories that made others cry

His autobiography became an instant bestseller, eventually own newspaper called North Star and wrote:

“Right is of no sex – Truth is of no color – God is the father of us all, and we are all Brethren.”

WOMEN AGAINST SLAVERY

Angelina Grimke, a former slave, spoke against slavery

Protesters threw stones and burned buildings

Her and her sister, Sarah, began speaking out against poverty, first to women, then to large groups of men and women

They led they way for other women to speak in public.

ABOLITIONISTS UNITE Sojourner Truth, also a former slave,

preached throughout the North When she met Douglass and Garrison,

they inspired her to speak out about slavery

She was an outstanding speaker, and argued that God would end slavery peacefully

These abolitionists helped change northerners attitudes about slavery and paved the way for the next generation

WOMEN’S RIGHTS The movement was sparked by Lucretia

Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who met in 1840 at an Anti-Slavery convention

Mott – 47 yrs old and mother of 4, Stanton – 25 yrs old and newly married

At the conference, women could not speak, and were put in the balcony to sit behind a curtain

This is where the women met, and decided something must change

OVERCOMING BARRIERS Even with an education, women could

not speak, vote, hold office, or control money

Lucy Stone – graduated top of her class in college, and though she wrote her speech, could not give it

Elizabeth Blackwell – rejected by 29 medical schools, then after finally being accepted and graduating at the top of her class, no one would hire her. (First female doctor!)

Women and slaves had too much in common!

SENECA FALLS CONVENTION

After an 8 year break, Mott and Stanton met again, to promote a women’s convention

On July 19, 1848, almost 300 people (40 men) arrived for the convention

They proposed the “Declaration of Sentiments”, saying “all men and women are created equal.”

THE RIGHT TO VOTE The convention passed resolutions

correcting injustices to women. Stanton then demanded the right to

vote! Many though this step was too radical Stanton and Douglass fought for voting

rights for both blacks and women The convention voted narrowly to

approve this last request

LEGEND OF SENECA FALLS

Prominent movement participants like Sojourner Truth, Stanton, and another reformer Susan B. Anthony made many gains for women

States slowly gave women control over their property and money

Elizabeth Blackwell started her own hospital, including a medical school to train female doctors

Of all the convention attendees, only one lived long enough to vote for president legally – Charlotte Woodward

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

Elizabeth Blackwell

Sojournor Truth

Susan B. Anthony