An Age of REFORM [APUSH Review Unit 4 Topic 11] Period 4: 1800-1848

Reform Movements in the 19th Century

Overview of Reform Movements (1800-1848)

• The video discusses various reform movements that emerged in the first half of the 19th century, focusing on their development and expansion.

• These movements were largely influenced by cultural and economic shifts from the Market Revolution, which instilled a belief in self-improvement through hard work.

• The expanding democracy during this period led many Americans to feel they had agency over national affairs, applying this mindset to social reforms.

Religious Reform Movements

• A significant religious reform movement was initiated with the establishment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism) in the 1840s by Joseph Smith.

• Smith claimed to receive divine revelations instructing him to translate gold plates into what became known as the Book of Mormon, asserting that Christianity had strayed from its true teachings.

• Controversy arose when Smith introduced polygamy as a practice; he faced severe backlash leading to his arrest and eventual lynching. Brigham Young succeeded him and led Mormons to Utah for safety.

Temperance Movement

• The temperance movement aimed at reducing alcohol consumption, which was rampant during this era with an average consumption rate of five gallons per person among drinkers.

• This movement gained momentum through moral exhortation from Protestant churches during the Second Great Awakening, leading to the formation of the American Temperance Society in 1826.

• Targeting working-class men who drank heavily, over 5,000 chapters were established nationwide; factory owners supported it for potential productivity increases and crime reduction benefits.

Abolitionism

• Abolitionism sought to end slavery and included a spectrum of views from gradual emancipation to immediate abolition without compensation for slave owners.

• Influenced by moral arguments stemming from the Second Great Awakening, abolitionists viewed slavery as sinful, complicating any compromise efforts regarding its existence. William Lloyd Garrison emerged as a key figure advocating for immediate abolition through moral persuasion via his newspaper "The Liberator."

The Impact of Frederick Douglass and the Women's Rights Movement

Frederick Douglass and His Contributions

• Frederick Douglass was an escaped slave who self-taught reading and writing after his master prohibited education.

• After escaping to the North, he came under the influence of William Lloyd Garrison but later established his own movement.

• He authored "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass," a significant work detailing his experiences with slavery.

• In his narrative, Douglass highlighted the dual dehumanization experienced by both enslaved individuals and their enslavers necessary for maintaining slavery.

The Intersection of Abolitionism and Women's Rights

• The women's rights movement emerged alongside abolitionism, with many women in the American Anti-Slavery Society feeling frustrated by their limited roles due to societal norms.

• The concept of "cult of domesticity" restricted women's participation in moral reform, which was deemed men's work.

• Many women recognized that advocating for abolition required them to seek greater rights for themselves, leading to the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848.

Seneca Falls Convention: A Milestone for Women’s Rights

• Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, this convention aimed to address women's rights within American society.

• They drafted the "Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions," modeled after the Declaration of Independence, asserting that “all men and women are created equal.”

• This document listed grievances against a society that had consistently disenfranchised women as second-class citizens.