To begin, the reforming impulse toward social reform had deep political and religious roots. As more and more people began to have the opportunity to take part in voting, critics argued that the American society still wasn’t becoming more democratic. Pointing to the promise of liberty and equality in the Declaration of Independence, they asserted that a true democracy wouldn’t permit slavery. Saying this, in the Second Great Awakening during the colonial era, the majority of American Protestants believed in predestination. According to this belief, God chose the people who would attain salvation after death in advance. The impact was that people didn’t think they could do anything to reach salvation. So, in the early 1800s, a huge movement …show more content…
Thankfully, a growing number of reformers began to think differently in the 1800s. Religious beliefs led some Americans to oppose slavery. Since colonial times, Quakers had taught that one human being owned by another was a sin. Ministers like Charles Grandison Finney called on Christians to join a crusade to stamp out of slavery. As slavery eventually came to an end in the North, by 1804, all the states from Pennsylvania through New England had made a promise to free the slaves in the long term. Having 50,000 slaves lying in the North during 1800, it compared with roughly 1,000,000 in the South. The American Colonization Society offered to end slavery by establishing an independent colony in Africa for freed slaves. President Monroe helped the society found the nation of Liberia in western Africa. Some African Americans even favored colonization, believing that they would never have equal rights in the U.S. Saying this, more opposed the movement. Wanting to stay in their homeland, only a few thousand African Americans settled in Liberia. On the other hand, abolitionists wanted to end slavery completely in America, when others favored that option with a more gradual approach. The people who played a main role in the abolitionist movement were the free African …show more content…
Even though they didn’t have many successes, the sisters protested for good reasons. At the time, women weren't allowed to vote or hold office. If a woman worked outside the home, her wages belonged to her husband! One of the most effective women’s rights leaders was born into slavery in New York. Isabella came to believe that God wanted her to fight for freedom after gaining it herself. With complete dedication to sojourn, better known as traveling, she was entitled as Sojourner Truth. Other abolitionists, Mott and Stanton, also turned to the cause of women's rights. Mott used her organizing skills to set up petition drives across the North, while Stanton overcome the struggles of not having a caring father. After returning from the World's Antislavery Convention in London, they took up the cause of women’s rights with committed spirits. Moving forth, the Seneca Falls Convention modeled the Declaration of Independence proclaiming, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal.” The men and women here voted for solutions that demanded equality for women at work, at school, and at church as well. Evidently, just one resolution met with any opposition of at the convention, that women women would be able to vote. Fortunately, the resolution passed! Ultimately, the convention marked the start of an organized campaign for
In the new politic system of the United States the women’s rights were coming to surface. In the reshaping of the government system and the advances that the country was having, the status of the women were as well changing from 1850-1846. Some women had the opportunity for education and other had more participation in religion. For instance, Women played an increasing role in public education during the reform era. Catharine Beecher, a sister of Harriet Beecher Stowe, encouraged women to enter the teaching profession because their natural role suited them to the care and nurturing of children. Women were very active during the reform of humanitarian reforms they were more active than ever. For instance, the spirit of reform was prevalent in the field of women's rights. Many women played a central role in a wide range of historical moral crusades. This reform was the beginning for the movement of women’s rights; they did not totally include all the women’s right but surely was the set point for women to be considered. Not only women participate for their women right but as well they participate in politics with the issue of anti-slavery. For instance, Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were two female delegates to the World Anti-Slavery Convention held at London in 1840. Even
“Beginning in the 1800s, women organized petitioned and pocketed to won three right to vote but it took them decades to accomplish their purpose”(archive.com). The organized movement started at Seneca Falls, NY with a meeting called by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. The most influential leaders during the movements were Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. The Suffragists and Suffragettes were trying to prove to the public that women could be doing other things apart from looking after the children and taking care of the homes. The Seneca Falls convention was organized by a group of women who had been active in the antislavery movement. The Seneca Falls Declaration called for an increase in women’s rights in these areas, as well as in education for women and the jobs available to
Women have always been fighting for their rights for voting, the right to have an abortion, equal pay as men, being able to joined the armed forces just to name a few. The most notable women’s rights movement was headed in Seneca Falls, New York. The movement came to be known as the Seneca Falls convention and it was lead by women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton during July 19th and 20th in 1848. Stanton created this convention in New York because of a visit from Lucretia Mott from Boston. Mott was a Quaker who was an excellent public speaker, abolitionist and social reformer. She was a proponent of women’s rights. The meeting lasted for only two days and was compiled of six sessions, which included lectures on law, humorous
The Second Great Awakening revolved around the new concept of national reform through religious and moral changes. These changes and transitions occurred for the benefit of the country, by withdrawing the negative aspects of society such as alcohol overuse, low quality education and prisons, and most notably slavery. Religious leaders encouraged salvation and worshipping the Christian God to be best solution for successfully reforming and improving the nation’s predicaments. Religious ideas had a remarkable role constructing reform movements in the first half of the nineteenth century in behalf of religion offering the most moral and logical path towards a better society. People of the United States were in necessity of reforms, applying the religious ideas opened up new resolutions for all classes, races, and groups of people.
The validity of the statement, “Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals” can be assessed regarding many reformations in the time period of 1825-1850 including the American temperance movement, the women’s rights movement, and the abolitionist reform. All of which very much expanded core democratic ideology, such as equality, liberty for all, and the pursuit of happiness. All these reforms share the qualities necessary to attempt to make the United States a more civilized, utopian society. Social reform was a necessity when it came to expanding democratic ideals.
Gender inequality and slavery were the two biggest evils that reformers tried eliminating in the time period. The abolition of slavery had many reformers behind it. Two very important men trying to achieve this were Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison, a white man, going to show there was support from all types of people. Two of the women’s rights advocates were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sarah Grimke. They both achieved great things to help out their cause. Although slavery and gender equality are arguably the most important evils in the time period there were still many other. One of these was alcohol. During the time period the Temperance
Between the years 1825 and 1850, the US underwent a series of social and political reforms which attempted to democratize American life. Reform movements during this period of Jacksonian Democracy attempted to dissolve disunity in the social ladder and pushed for equal rights among all citizens. Stemming from the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century, many of these reforms were backed by religious ideals over democratic principles. At the forefront of the cause, however, was the hope for a more democratic system in which there was not only popular sovereignty, but a sense of social leveling.
The Seneca Falls convention was the first of many for the women’s suffrage movement. For years, Lucy Stone, Paulina Kellogg Wright Davis, Abby Kelley Foster hosted the National Women’s Rights Convention. It was annually held in Akron, Ohio and brought together women all over who supported women’s suffrage and women’s rights. The women gave speeches, discussed their views, and planned ways to further their cause. One speech that Lucy Stone gave persuaded Susan B. Anthony to join the movement. Sojourner Truth presented her speech “Ain’t I A Women” that left her crowd speechless and amazed. She was a former slave who was an advocate for Negro suffrage. In her speech, she proclaimed that equal rights were either given to only intelligent white men and women. This convention eventually brought Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony together and with
In the cartoon, it states “20,000,000 American Women Are Not Self-Governed” (Doc 7). This cartoon establishes the idea of women not taking part in the process of developing their own government. This is a necessary part to uphold as the equality of women leads to the right to vote, a key point in basic American rights. Two major women that fronted women's suffrage movement were Elizabeth Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. Lucretia Mott initially started this movement with Elizabeth Stanton, in Seneca Falls, NY. In the letter to Elizabeth Stanton from Susan B. Anthony, she asks the question, “If only now--all the women suffrage women would work to this end of enforcing the existing constitution--supremacy of national law over state law over state law” (Doc 2). The idea of women's suffrage is not a simple task, as enforcing this law is a difficult task to continually maintain within both the national and state
This was frowned upon by most of the community because women were said to be needed at the household where they should stay and take care of the household. As more women colleges opened such as the Holyoke Seminary, a school that opened specifically to educate women. As women became more educated, they tried to gain a voice in the community and among the nation socially and politically. An example of this is Dorothea Dix where she protested and changed many of the prison treatment and also treatment for the mentally ill as stated in Document F. Women would later to go on to where bloomers which symbolizes that they were equal to men in every way. One way that they were gaining a political voice was at the Women's Rights Convention at Seneca Falls, New York in the mid 1800's. Elizabeth Stanton stated the Declaration of Independence which stated, "all men and women were created equally." This convention launched the modern Women's Rights Movement, and made women's voice be heard around the nation. In addition to this women petitioned for multiple women's rights that would be passed. This movement gained women equal rights to men due to the Second Great
Sub-point A: Women formed organizations to fight for suffrage. One of the most memorable events was the gathering of abolitionist activist at the Seneca Falls Convention. The Convention was organized by Elizabeth Candy Stanton and Lucretia Mott. The Convention showed attention to unfair treatment of women, the convention was attended by 300 people and 40 of them was men. (show pictures of the convention)
In the early 1840s, women began standing and fighting for the basic rights they deserved. Women had always been viewed as lesser than men, and many women of the time were ready to object that idea. Some women were fine with how they were being blindly mistreated, but Elizabeth Cady Stanton was one of the women ready for a change. With the help of her colleague Lucretia Mott, Stanton organized the Seneca Falls Convention in her hometown of Seneca Falls located in upstate New York. This event was the first of its kind; therefore, it took very strong and dedicated women to compose the convention. The convention’s main focus was Stanton’s Declaration of Sentiments on
Another important reform movement was that of women suffrage. In the early 19th century, married women could not enter into contracts without their husband 's consent. Women also lost all title to property or future earnings upon marriage. Children were also legally controlled by the father. Women were also often left without protection against kidnapping or even imprisonment by husbands and other male relatives. Women were also denied educational opportunities in a male dominated society. There were many women involved in this movement but there were a significant few who stood out. Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott organized the Seneca Falls Convention, and many other movements along with many papers and declarations calling for a women 's right to own property and to vote. Later the two formed the National Women 's Suffrage Association.
The reform impulse of 1800-1860 made it possible for mankind to be essentially good and capable of positive change. The political quarry of the past transformed the ways people thought of themselves and about society as a whole. Religious and social factors contributed to this change because of their old and dissatisfying ways. Activists began to dedicate their lives to the cause of reform, and to promote morality and social discipline. People began to lean toward the idea that everyone in society could reach perfection and salvation. Perhaps, this gave people hope for a better future because it differed from the previous idea in which salvation was limited to only a few. These new religious views were linked to reform because it was a change in hopes of improving society, this religious change focused upon the family, and it began to liberate the lives and freedom of women, even if these abolitionists did view the government in dreadful ways.
(Goldfield, 338) Since the cult of domesticity was making women inferior to men, women decided to do as the slaves did and fight for their own freedom. The women’s rights movement began in the mid-1800s. Female and male abolitionist found it necessary that women should be able to have the same rights as men. Just because biologically they are different, it does not mean they do not deserve the same rights. Women were denied the right to vote, property and a right to an education or job. (Goldfield, 338) At first the women’s movement was slow. Many women were afraid to speak out in fear of being shunned by their community. This was a brand new scary task that Women for the first time were going to deal with. A women speaking out against the norms of society was seen as a terrible thing to do. When you have many women speaking out for the same thing a change must be done. When the first national convention for women’s rights was called in Seneca Falls, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were able to successfully use the Declaration of Independence as a model for their own Declaration of Sentiments. (Goldfield, 339) In their Declaration they branded that “male patriarchy as the source of women’s oppression” (Goldfield, 339) Stanton and Mott called for full women’s rights and to become independent citizens. Although the fight for women’s rights was always an important issue, most abolitionists deemed it less important