Religious and Social Reforms (College Board AP® US History)

Summary

Timeline

The Age of Reform (early to mid-1800s) was a period in US history when individuals began to work together to improve the lives of others and improve society through religious, social, and political activism. Putting one’s Christian values, learned during the Second Great Awakening, into action became a theme during this era. During this time, new religious movements, such as the founding of Mormonism, emerged as part of the broader spiritual revival. At the same time, reform movements focused on issues such as temperance, abolition of slavery, and women’s rights gained traction. 

Mormonism and Social Reform

Mormonism

• Mormonism is also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

• Joseph Smith founded the religion in 1830, based on the Book of Mormon  

• Church members believe that:

  • God sent more prophets after Jesus Christ died, and Joseph Smith was one of these prophets

  • God used Smith to re-establish Christ’s church from the Bible’s Old Testament in modern times 

• Smith spread his message and started Mormon communities in Missouri, Ohio, and Illinois

• Smith and his followers faced violence as they shared their beliefs with others

  • In 1844, an Illinois mob killed Smith and his brother while they were in jail on charges of treason   

• A new leader, Brigham Young, led 16,000 Mormons to the Utah Territory to escape religious persecution 

  • This is an example of how reform movements at this time, such as the establishment of a new religion, were not always welcomed by Americans

  • However, Young’s move to Utah with his followers that his movement would survive

American Temperance Movement

• The American Temperance Movement is based on the idea of temperance which is avoiding the consumption of alcohol

•  Temperance was seen as a way to: 

  • increase productivity at work

  • decrease crime

  • reduce acts of violence toward wives and children

  • create stable homes

• The temperance movement wanted to change the social norms around alcohol, which included:

  • there were more taverns than churches at the time 

  • alcohol always served at social gatherings

  • wages sometimes paid in liquor or beer

  • acceptable to sometimes drink alcohol while working

American Temperance Society (1826)

• The American Temperance Society was founded by evangelical Christians

• At first, the society called for people to drink less hard alcohol

• By the 1830s, the society supported complete abstinence from drinking any alcohol 

Opposition to the temperance movement

• Opponents of temperance included:

  • tavern and distillery owners

  • farmers who sold grain to be made into alcohol

  • European immigrants from cultures that did not have strict rules about alcohol

Abolitionism

• Abolitionism was a movement aimed at ending the practice of slavery and enslavement of people

• In the United States, abolitionism gained momentum in the late 18^th and early 19^th centuries

• Abolitionists came from diverse backgrounds and used various methods to achieve their goals, including

  • publishing anti-slavery newspapers

  • organizing societies

  • delivering speeches

William Lloyd Garrison 

• Garrison was a prominent white abolitionist who founded the abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator

• He organized the American Anti-Slavery Society which:

  • sought to end enslavement immediately

  • welcomed women to join the group, which caused disagreement among members 

• In 1854, he burned a copy of the Constitution at an abolitionist rally in Massachusetts

  • He believed it was an invalid document 

Frederick Douglass 

• Douglas was an escaped enslaved man who learned to read and write in secret 

  • He then taught other enslaved people those skills 

• In 1845, he wrote “Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass”, the first of three autobiographies 

• In 1847, he began publishing The North Star in Rochester, New York

•  This was an abolitionist newspaper Douglass and Garrison disagreed about the Constitution

  • Douglass stated the Constitution was a valid legal document that could be used to emancipate enslaved people

Women’s Movement

• Women worked tirelessly in reform movements such as abolitionism and temperance

• During their work in other reform movements, they began to understand that they could do more if they had the right to vote and other equal opportunities as men

• The rise of the Women’s Movement began. 

Seneca Falls Convention (1848):

• The convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York

  • It marked the formal launch of the women’s suffrage movement

• The convention was organized by:

  • Elizabeth Cady Stanton

  • Lucretia Mott

  • Mary M’Clintock

  • Martha Coffin Wright

  • Jane Hunt

Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions

• The declaration was mostly written by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, with contributions by the four other convention organizers

• It was inspired by the Declaration of Independence

• The declaration stated the need for women’s equality in: 

  • politics

  • family

  • education

  • jobs

  • religion

  • morals

• It also highlighted the inequality for women in:

  • divorce law

  • ownership of property

  • earning wages

• The declaration stated that since women did not have the right to vote, they were forced to live under laws without giving their consent

• It included 11 resolutions, demanding that women be considered equal to men including the right to vote