Chapter 15

New Movements in America

(1815-1850)

Chapter 15 New Movements in America

(1815-1850)

Section 1

America’s Spiritual Awakening

The Second Great Awakening Started in mid-1790s

Spread through upstate New York and frontier regions of Kentucky, Ohio, Tennessee and South Carolina

In 1820s and 1830s it spread to New England, the Appalachians, and the South

Charles Grandison Finney – one of the most important leaders Challenged some traditional Protestant beliefs Each individual responsible for own salvation; sin = avoidable Angered some traditional ministers

Church membership grew a great deal Many new members = women Some African Americans became Baptist, Methodist or Presbyterian

ministers African Methodist Episcopal Church (founded by

Richard Allen of Philadelphia) spread across mid-Atlantic states

Transcendentalism and Utopian Communities Transcendentalism – belief that people could transcend, or

rise above, the material things in life, such as money and personal belongings

People should depend on themselves instead of outside authority

Ralph Waldo Emerson wanted people to follow personal beliefs and use own judgment – “What I must do is all that concerns me, not what the people think” (in “Self-Reliance”)

Margaret Fuller said that women had the right to choose their own paths in life

Henry David Thoreau believed in self-reliance and did not trust institutions

Some transcendentalists experimented with utopian communities Brook Farm, Massachusetts (1840s) Tried to form a perfect society on Earth Some formed as places to practice their religious beliefs

Ann Lee – community of Shakers (named because their bodies would shake during worship) Did not believe in private ownership of property, lived very plain lifestyle

The American Romantics Ideas about spirituality, the simple life, and

nature also shaped painters and writers Drew upon the idea that each individual brings

a unique perspective to the world Thomas Cole painted American landscape Example of romantic literature – Nathaniel

Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Herman Melville– former sailor, wrote tales of the sea, ex. Moby-Dick

Edgar Allan Poe – best known for his short stories and poetry (ex. “The Raven”)

Gifted American poets – Emily Dickinson, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, John Greenleaf Whittier, and Walt Whitman Longfellow – best known American poet of mid-1800s Dickinson published only two poems during her lifetime

Chapter 15 New Movements in America

(1815-1850)

Section 2

Immigrants and Cities

Waves of Immigrants More than 4 million immigrants settled in U.S. between 1840

and 1860 More than 3 million of these were Irish or German

Irish came to U.S. during potato famine – approx. 1 million died of starvation and disease Catholic, very poor Settled in towns and cities in Massachusetts, New Jersey, New

York, and Pennsylvania Those who did not live in cities worked on building canals and

railroads Irish women worked as domestic servants for wealthy families;

men could usually only find unskilled work Germans came to U.S. to escape persecution under

harsh ruler and for new economic opportunity Protestants, Catholics and Jews Many arrived with money More likely to become farmers and live in rural areas Moved to Midwestern states such as Michigan, Ohio and

Wisconsin Often had to take low-paying jobs despite their skill

The Nativist Response

American labor force changed by industrialization and waves of people from Europe

Industrial jobs in northeast drew many immigrants who filled need for cheap labor Fueled local economies, led to the creation of new jobs for

clerks, merchants, supervisors, and professional workers Nativists – Americans who opposed immigration

Native-born citizens feared losing jobs to immigrants who might work for lower wages

Also felt threatened by different cultures and religions Before Catholic immigrants arrived, most people in U.S. were

Protestant American Protestants did not always trust Catholic immigrants because

of long-standing conflicts between Catholics and Protestants in Europe

The Nativist Response

Know-Nothing Party founded by nativists in 1849 Called this because if asked questions by

outsiders, members usually answered “I know nothing”

Wanted to keep Catholics and immigrants out of public office

Wanted immigrants to live in U.S. 21 years before becoming citizens

Won several state elections during 1850s

The Growth of Cities U.S. cities grew rapidly during the mid-1800s

Industrial Revolution – drew immigrants as well as migrants from rural areas

Transportation Revolution – connected cities, made it easier for people to move to them

Rise of industry and growth of cities changed American life Business owners and skilled workers benefited the most Middle class emerged – merchants, manufacturers,

professionals, and master craftspeople People found entertainment and enriched cultural

life in cities Libraries, clubs, theaters

Cities = compact and crowded Most walked to work Streets paved with stones

Urban Problems Public and private transportation was limited, most people

lived a short distance from workplace Poor wage workers, rising middle class, and wealthy

often lived near each other Disagreements between social classes often led to conflict,

sometimes riots Lack of safe housing and public services

Tenements – dirty, overcrowded buildings where many (especially immigrants) lived

No clean water, public health regulations, or clean ways to get rid of garbage and human waste, diseases spread rapidly

Centers of criminal activity No permanent police force to fight crime, used volunteer night

watches Fire protection often poor as well

Chapter 15 New Movements in America

(1815-1850)

Section 3

Reforming Society

Introduction

Teachings of 2nd Great Awakening inspired many to improve society

Growth of cities caused problems that many wanted to correct

Growing middle class, especially women led reform movements – they had free time

Prison Reform Dorothea Dix visited prisons throughout Massachusetts

and reported terrible conditions Gave speech to legislature about how mentally ill often

jailed with criminals Government of Massachusetts created special, separate

facilities for mentally ill people Influence spread around country, more than 100 state

hospitals were built for mentally ill people to receive professional care

Some reformers protested treatment of young offenders Children arrested for begging or stealing often treated as adults 1820s, several state and local governments founded reform schools

for children who were once housed in prison Efforts to end overcrowding and cruel conditions in

prisons resulted in houses of correction – used punishment and tried to change prisoners’ behavior through education

Campaigning Against Alcohol Abuse

Many believed Americans were drinking liquor at an alarming rate During 1830s, average alcohol consumption per person

was seven gallons a year Believed alcohol abuse caused social

problems such as family violence, poverty and criminal behavior

Temperance movement – social reform effort urging people to stop drinking hard liquor and limit drinking of beer and wine to small amounts American Temperance Society and American

Temperance Union Some did not believe temperance was sufficient –

wanted to see ban of the sale of alcohol

Education in America Poor public education Reformers believed that education would help

Americans become good workers and citizens (fueled by immigration)

Many families believed education was important but did not expect children to receive a lot of formal education Generally wanted children to be able to read Bible, write

and do simple math Availability of education varied a great deal

throughout the U.S. New England had the most schoolhouses South and West had fewest School-teachers – untrained young men

Education in America (continued)

Textbooks most often used = McGuffey’s Readers – put together by William McGuffey an educator and Presbyterian minister Made up mostly of British and American literature Teach students about moral and social values as well

as literature and reading People of different backgrounds received

different educations Rich could send their children to private schools or hire

private tutors Poor children could only attend public school

The Common-School Movement

Common-school movement wanted all children educated in a common place, regardless of class or background

Horace Mann = leading voice for education reform Became first Secretary of Education for

Massachusetts in 1837 Doubled the state school budget and helped teachers

earn better salaries Made the school year longer and founded first school

for teacher training His work set the standard for education reform

throughout the country

Women’s Education Catherine Beecher became one of the most

effective reformers of women’s education in the early 1800s Believed women were better at teaching moral lessons

that made good citizens Started an all-female academy in Hartford, Connecticut

Emma Willard founded college-level institution for women in New York Troy Female Seminary = first school of its kind in U.S. Studied subjects ranging from math to philosophy

Several women’s colleges opened in the 1830s Mount Holyoke Seminary in Massachusetts founded

by Mary Lyon Oberlin College in Ohio was the first co-ed college in

the U.S. (both women and men)

African American Schools Free African Americans also enjoyed some benefits of

education reform Almost always went to separate schools from white

students New York African Free School – opened in NYC in 1787 Philadelphia supported development of African American

education By 1800, 7 schools for black students

In Boston (1855) African Americans were allowed to attend white schools

African Americans rarely attended college because only a few institutions of higher education would accept them Oberlin the first to do so in 1835; Harvard later

In the South, fewer free African Americans were able to obtain an education Laws in South prevented most slaves from receiving education (due

to southern whites’ fears of potential slave rebellions)

Teaching People with Disabilities

Samuel Gridley Howe worked to improve education of visually impaired Americans Also worked for education reform, prison reform and

care for mentally ill people Perkins Institution – Massachusetts – for people

with visual impairments

Thomas Hopkins Gallaudet worked to improve education of hearing impaired Founded first free American school for people with

hearing impairments in Hartford, CT

Chapter 15 New Movements in America

(1815-1850)

Section 4

The Movement to End Slavery

Abolition Abolition = complete end to slavery in U.S. Emancipation – all African Americans freed from

slavery Abolitionists were a minority but very vocal Quakers – first group to challenge slavery on religious

grounds; started during colonial times Abolitionists disagreed about what ending slavery

would mean for African Americans Treated same as white Americans Opposed full social and political equality Send freed African Americans to Africa to start new colonies there

Robert Finley started the American Colonization Society in 1817 Founded Liberia on west coast of Africa Approx. 12000 eventually settled there

Spreading the Abolitionist Message Went on speaking tours, wrote newspaper articles and

pamphlets Horace Greeley (editor) – strong voice for movement in

the New York Tribune William Lloyd Garrison published The Liberator, an

abolition newspaper Outspoken, controversial Helped found American Anti-Slavery Society – wanted

immediate emancipation and racial equality for African Americans

Amer. Anti-Slavery Society split in 1840 Two groups disagreed over role of women in the abolition

movement Angelina and Sarah Grimké – members of slaveholding

family in SC, but they did not support slavery Moved to Philadelphia and joined the abolitionist movement

African Americans Fight against Slavery

Frederick Douglass escaped slavery at age 20 and became one of the most important African American leaders of 1800s Secretly learned to read and write when he was

younger Went on many speaking tours in U.S. and Europe

(supported by AASS) Published North Star – pro-abolition newspaper

Sojourner Truth – famous for dramatic speeches; former slave; later fought for women’s rights

The Underground Railroad

Created by free African Americans (former slaves) and a few white abolitionists

Network of people arranged transportation and hiding places for fugitives and escaped slaves

“stations” or stops along the “railroad” were homes of abolitionists (“conductors”)

Most famous conductor – Harriet Tubman She escaped in 1849, returned 19 times; led 300 plus

her family to freedom Historians estimate 40,000 slaves used

Underground Railroad to reach freedom (1810-1850)

Opposition to Abolition

Many white northerners did not believe in equal treatment for African Americans Warned free slaves would move north and take jobs

from white workers

U.S. House of Representatives used Gag Rule to prevent discussion of thousands of antislavery petitions received Violated 1st Amendment, but Southern delegates did not

want to discuss, Northern delegates wanted to avoid

Southerners argued slavery was a vital part of southern economy and culture

Chapter 15 New Movements in America

(1815-1850)

Section 5

Women’s Rights

The Influence of Abolition

Female abolitionists became part of women’s rights movements of mid-1800s

Women had to defend right to speak in public Critics believed women should not give

public speeches, did not want women to leave traditional roles

Sarah Grimké argued for equal rights, equal educational opportunities

Women’s Rights Reform and abolition efforts led to the rise of the

women’s rights movement Took advantage of better educational opportunities Organized more effectively by working together in reform

groups Many activists upset because women could not vote Married women had little or no control over their own

property Many people (men and women) did not agree with

some goals Did not need new rights Not unequal to men, just different Work for change at home within families, not in public Some did not believe that women had physical or mental strength

to survive without men’s protection

The Seneca Falls Convention

Elizabeth Cady Stanton attended World’s Anti-Slavery Convention in London with her husband Women had to sit separately from men, could not participate William Lloyd Garrison broke rules by sitting with women –

wanted equal participation for all Seneca Falls Convention – organized by Stanton and

Lucretia Mott Began July 19, 1848 in Seneca Falls, New York Launched women’s rights movement Wrote Declaration of Sentiments (based on Declaration of

Independence) outlining beliefs about social injustice toward women

Frederick Douglass attended First time women organized as a group to promote rights

The Continuing Struggle

Lucy Stone, Susan B. Anthony, and Stanton became the most important leaders of the women’s rights movement

Anthony brought strong organizational skills Largely responsible for turning it into a political

movement Argued women should receive equal pay and be

allowed to enter traditionally male professions Led campaign to change laws regarding women’s

property rights New York finally gave married women ownership of

their wages and property