Second Great Awakening Essay

‘Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals. Assess the validity of this statement with specific reference to the years 1825-1850.’

In the 1830's, 1840's, and beyond, There is a Second Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening had a decided impact on American society. In the following I will describe what the Great Awakening was and how it changed life in America.

The second great awakening was the emergence of new religious branches. There were three main branches that influences the Unites States as it grew and was still trying to rid of the English ways. these three branches were named Baptist, Methodist, and Presbyterian. All three of these branches grew quickly in popularity. The most popular however was the Presbyterian church. All of these shares the same core belief but held different values and reasons for existence. The presbyterian church is part of what I feel helped push the western expiation to continue further. This is due to the one message they wanted to convey to others, " Salvation is available not just to a select few, as the Calvinist Puritans have claimed, but to anyone who repents and embraces Christ". Other religious view were adopted in this time that caused the population to see the world in a new light and gain more spiritual growth.

Through this partnership, Stanton achieved many great things throughout her life, her utmost being that she held the first Woman’s Rights convention at Seneca Falls, New York in 1848. During this time she wrote “The Declaration of Sentiments,” calling for changes in law and society in areas such as education and politics. Her relentless campaigning, pressuring Congress to

By the beginning of the 18th century, there was an unmistakable feeling in the American Colonies that its intemperate society had become too comfortable and assertive, and had forgotten its original intentions of religious prosperity. The result was a revitalization of religious piety that swept through the American colonies between the 1730s and the 1770s, a movement known as "The Great Awakening". This revival was part of an evangelical upsurge occurring simultaneously in England, Scotland, Germany, and other inhabitants on the other side of the Atlantic. In all these Protestant cultures, a new Age of Faith had arisen contrasting the currents of the Age of Enlightenment, advocating the belief that being truly religious meant relying on

Stanton’s most memorable convention was the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848 where one hundred men and women gathered for the historic convention. There she introduced her manifesto, the Declaration of Rights and Sentiments, which proclaimed that men and women are equal and women need more protection under the law. The document also called for expansion of employment and educational opportunities along with the right to vote for women. Stanton’s manifesto was inspired by the United States Declaration of Independence, The press was not fond with the Seneca Falls Convention and complained that all the women that attended were sour maids and childless women. Although the media did not approve of her remarkable meeting, it brought attention to the women’s rights movement on the political standpoint. (Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A wave of revivalism swept over the United States during the First Great Awakening that took place between 1734 and 1750. Many people came to accept the Christian faith during this time. This acceptance of the faith and different religious practices were not permanent and “by the end of the 18th century, many educated Americans no longer professed traditional Christian beliefs. In reaction to the secularism of the age, a religious revival spread westward in the first half of the 19th century. This ‘Second Great Awakening’ consisted of several kinds of activity, distinguished by locale and expression of religious commitment.” (Outline of American History).

One of the first Gatherings devoted to Woman Rights in the United States was in Seneca Falls New York. It was a convention organized by Elizabeth Stanton a mother of 4 and a Quaker abolitionist. At that convention Stanton drafted a Declaration of sentiments, grievances, and resolutions, which echoed the Declaration of Independence. She went on to say that all men and women where created equally under god and should thus should be treated equally socially. After some time women lobbyist and Activist continued to grow and eventually women gain the right to vote. And with the right to vote the women's rights movement took a huge leap forward. Society begin to accept women as more equal in the society and in the government.

In July of the 1920s, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott structured the first women's convention. Three hundred people showed up to this convention—including men. Stanton went above and beyond to make a change in this country. A group of delegates guided by Stanton created a document named "Declaration of Sentiments". It stated “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” In other words, women should have all rights to

The Second Great Awakening marked a religious transition in society in America. Many Americans from the Calvinist sect emphasized man’s inability to save themselves and their only way to be saved was from grace from God. (Independence Hall Association in Philadelphia, 2014) The Second Great Awakening caused a more of a lasting change on American society than any other religious revival. One of the major ideas of the Second Great Awakening was that people could perfect themselves.

In the year 1848, Elizabeth Cady Stanton conveyed to the audience of the Seneca Falls Convention the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions . The Declaration of Sentiments was written with the purpose of demanding civil freedom for women and of righting the wrongs of society. The Declaration included events where women’s rights were being oppressed and violated and where laws were giving special treatment to men. It also included the resolutions they demanded on these particular cases.

The Seneca Falls Convention, which was held on July 19-20, 1848 in the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York, was referred to as the first women’s right convention. It was the milestone in the entire movement of women’ rights, which has positive lofty significance for all the women in the world, because through this convention an organized women’s right movement was initiated in the United States. Many historians associated the Seneca Convention as part of Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s biography, owing to the fact that she was the event’s main organizer. In fact, it was only recently when the Seneca Convention was recognized by historians as a significant event in history (Lerner, 3). Consequently, it was through this recognition that the convention was acknowledged as a result of women’s increased awareness of their rights during that period. This historical event paved the way for women to express their sentiments against disfranchisement, which means the deprivation of the civil rights including vote, education, working and owning private property. In the Declaration of Sentiments, they asserted “that women should have equality in every area of life: politics, the family, education, jobs, religion, and morals” (Wellman, 1).

In New England, the new interest in religion inspired social activism. The Great Awakening of the 1730s, the revivals in the East was distinguished for the absence of uncontrollable and open emotion. The Second Great Awakening implemented an intense impact on American history because of the opposition to the balance of politic and religion. The Second Great awaking established the separation of church and state. During this era the power of the Baptists and Methodists rose during the colonial period by applying Christian teaching to the resolution of social. Gladly, America was becoming more diverse and the growing differences within America. Overall, the Second Great awaking was a Protestant revival movement that altered the American religion at the start of the revolution. The Second Great awaking was best known for the camp meetings that led a numerous amount of people to convert. This era marked a fundamental change in America’s religious life and it also included greater public

Throughout the United States history, there has been many political debates, one of which was Women’s Rights, which had played an important role in US society. One major debate on this subject was the proper role of women in American society in 1848-1910. Many people had different viewpoints. For example, in “How to be the Perfect Housewive”, an article from Godey’s Lady’s Book and Magazine, the author explains that everything you do should be for your husband. On the other hand, American activists, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, believe women should have equal rights to men, to show the wrongness of men tyranny over women, they decided to write the Declaration of Sentiment. In one of the excerpts, they wrote, “He has compelled her

Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were inspirations to the Women’s Liberation Movement. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was a women’s rights’ activist and a writer. Lucretia Mott was also a women’s rights’ activist. Together they held the Seneca Falls convention , where they created the “Declaration of Sentiments”. They were both concentrated on promoting women’s rights’ and suffrage. They traveled to give speeches and lectures about women’s rights’ also calling for an amendment to the constitution giving women the right to vote. These women were strengthened by their successes; as one said, "I knew I was a part of making history...It