Why did moral reform movements gather strength in the 1830s-1850s and what underlying force or forces gave them strength

The name Civil War is misleading because the war was not a class struggle, but a sectional combat, having its roots in political, economic, social, and psychological elements. It has been characterized, in the words of William H. Seward, as the “irrepressible conflict.” In another judgment the Civil War was viewed as criminally stupid, an unnecessary bloodletting brought on by arrogant extremists and blundering politicians. Both views accept the fact that in 1861 there existed a situation that, rightly or wrongly, had come to be regarded as insoluble by peaceful means.

Shelby Foote once said “But the Civil war defined us as what we are and it opened us to being what we became, good and bad things. It was the crossroads of our being, and it was a hell of a crossroads.” In this famous phrase he states how the civil war shaped the future of generations ahead, and was the collision of our beliefs, which led to issuing many policies and the burst of many disagreements, which were later solved with violence. His statement is valid because it interprets the situation the people where in, how they felt, and how the Civil War later affected people’s actions and beliefs.

The American Civil War occurred between 1861 and 1865 and is largely considered the most destructive conflict in U.S. history, resulting in approximately one million military casualties and an inestimable number of civil victims. Much controversy still surrounds the nature of this conflict, as its determining causes are complex. Contemporary international perception may have placed a progressive, anti-slavery label on the whole affair, yet the basic fact remains that nineteenth century America was an increasingly inhomogeneous country and prone to blatant discrepancy.

While some citizens of the United States, between 1825 and 1850, believed that reform was foolish and that the nation should stick to its old conduct, reformists in this time period still sought to make the United States a more ideally democratic nation. This was an age of nationalism and pride, and where there was pride in one’s country, there was the aspiration to improve one’s country even further. Many new reformist and abolitionist groups began to form, all attempting to change aspects of the United States that the respective groups thought to be unfair or unjust. Some groups, such as lower and middle class women and immigrants, sought to improve rights within the county, while other reformers aspired to change the American education

The Second Great Awakening was a Protestant religious revival started in upstate New York by religious leaders such as Charles Grandison Finney and Joseph Smith. The revival flourished by the early 1800s and caused the development of numerous reform movements between 1825 and 1850. Reform movements such as abolition, women's suffrage, and educational advancements all contributed to the expansion of Democratic ideals during this time period. In American democracy, education for our youth has always been a fundamental part in creating the perfect country.

Elizabeth Stanton delivered one of the most historical speeches in U.S history in 1848. Her speech, “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” was a fight for women’s rights. Elizabeth Stanton was a mother, highly accomplished and well educated. She began to relish the fact that women had a lack of advancement opportunities, and were especially constricted compared to men. She gave her speech at the Seneca Falls convention, and caught the attention of many with her compelling speech tactics. Stanton wrote her speech structured after our nations “Declaration of Independence”. She also persuaded others to see the truth behind her arguments by claims of natural rights. Finally Stanton uses a pathos strategy

Home life for women, however, was not as pleasant as society portrayed it. Once married, any property that the woman owned went to her husband, not only this but women could not vote. In society, it was acceptable for men to beat their wives as long as they were using a reasonable instrument, about 10 percent of women avoided marriage because they did not want to face the cruelty of men and lose their land. In a way, women of the 19th century could be compared to black slaves and when slaves gained their freedom, women started taking stand for their own rights. Their main goal was to earn suffrage, the right to vote. With the right to vote they would have a say in the presidents and would be able to fight against their abusive husbands. Famous women’s rights leaders were Elizabeth C. Stanton, Amelia Bloomer, and Susan B. Anthony, Stanton held the first feminist convention in Seneca Falls, New York. Here, they demanded rights regarding suffrage, divorce, property rights, and equal wages. The Declaration of Sentiments, shown in document 7, was written by Stanton at Seneca Falls convention. Seen through her claims, women felt they should have the same rights as men and, since they also payed taxes, should be represented in the government. The Declaration of Sentiments stated that all men and women are created equal, as opposed to the original declaration which

Although the attempted reformation of the U.S. were increasingly substantial, the reconstruction era had a negative connotation, leaving a wounded nation to attempt to reconstruct after. The Civil War, one of America’s bloodiest conflicts, has left a lasting imprint with the high percentage of fatalities and significant damage to property. The division of the north and south left scarring results, fueling the fire of the slavery debacle. With the Unions win in 1865, the skirmish was far from over. Through the anguish and discord of the rebuilding, those w Those who were persecuted before can not escape the discrimination and freedom yet to come. Equality for all comes with a hefty price. The reconstruction of America saw successes, yet is overshadowed by the impending darkness that

Led by a fair number of women, the Second Great Awakening opened new possibilities for women. The idea that women were subordinate to men was slowly becoming a thing of the pass. Women broke the social norm and began to lead reform movements in order to gain rights. The Grimké sisters regularly spoke to coed audiences about abolitionist efforts in order to gain support and spread the idea of abolition (Pastoral Letter to the Liberator, 1837). However, women didn’t fully receive equal legal status and rights until the mid-nineteenth century. The Seneca Falls Convention ultimately paved the way for women’s rights and the Declaration of Sentiments proposed “women’s equality in everything from education and employment to legal rights and voting”(Hewitt, Lawson

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

Following the Era of Good Feeling, Jacksonian democracy sparked the formation of various antebellum reform movements in America. President Jackson sought to expand white male suffrage in the US by removing many of the landowning requirements throughout the states, which set a precedent for subsequent reform. Drawing from morals rekindled in the Second Great Awakening, Americans began to endeavor for equality— abolition, women’s rights, temperance, and religious revival all gained prominence. These critical issues were the crux of the American sociopolitical spectrum, and were the defining controversial issues that would need to be addressed to uphold the integrity of the union. From the period 1825 to 1855, reform movements emerged that stressed

Of all the issues that were in the middle of reformation mid 1800’s, antislavery, education, intemperance, prison reform, and world peace, women’s rights was the most radical idea proposed. The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was a rally held by Elizabeth Cady Stanton with the common goal to eventually achieve equal rights among all citizens. Frederick Douglass, who became an acclaimed activist in the African American Equal Rights movement, accompanied the movement. Moreover, The Declaration of Sentiments was a document that reflected the ideals of the Declaration of Independence, reiterating the sentiment from the Bible that “all men [and women] are created equal.” Concurrent to the publication of this document, for the first time, women insisted that they were men’s equals in every way. The Declaration of Sentiments was pivotal in Women’s history, although it was not given credit until the late 20th century. However, immediately after the Declaration of Sentiments was published, women and activist groups were inspired to take action towards rights for all underprivileged American citizens. The convention took place in a small town in upstate New York, which was home to four of the five people who organized the gathering. (DuBois, 1999, p. 45) This was the first time female equality was discussed in a public place. The Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 was one of the most important events in women’s rights history.

In 1848 a group of women met at the Seneca Falls Convention in New York and began to formulate a demand for the enfranchisement of American women (Women’s Suffrage, 2011). Elizabeth Cady Stanton composed the Declaration of Sentiments, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, stating that “a man should not withhold a woman's rights, take her property or refuse to allow her to vote” (Kelly, 2011, para.3 ). The convention participants spent two days arguing and refining the content of the Declaration of Sentiments, then voted on its contents; the document received support from about one third of the delegates in attendance. The Seneca Falls Convention was not a resounding success, but it “represented an important first step in the evolving campaign for women’s rights” (Tindall & Shi, 2010, p.374, para.1).

The women 's suffrage movement, the time when women fought for their rights, began in the year 1848 and continued on all the way through the 1860s. Although women in the new republic had important roles in the family, the house, and other obligations, they were excluded from most rights. These rights included political and legal rights. Due to their gender, they have been held back because they did not have as much opportunities as the men did. The new republic made alterations in the roles of women by disparaging them in society. During this era, men received a higher status than women. Because women were forced to follow laws without being allowed to state their opinions, they tried to resist laws, fight for their freedom and strive to gain equality with men. This leads to feminism, the belief in political, social, and economic equality between men and women. It is the feminist efforts that have successfully tried to give rights that men had, to women who have been denied those rights. Upon the deprivation of those rights, the Seneca Falls convention and the Declaration of Sentiments helped women gain the privileges and opportunities to accomplish the task of equality that they have been striving for.

The entire Women’s Movement in the United States has been quite extensive. It can be traced back to 1848, when the first women’s rights convention was held in Seneca Falls, New York. After two days of discussions, 100 men and women signed the Declaration of Sentiments. Drafted by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, this document called for equal treatment of women and men under the law and voting rights for women. This gathering set the agenda for the rest of the Women’s Movement long ago (Imbornoni). Over the next 100 years, many women played a part in supporting equal treatment for women, most notably leading to the ratification of the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, which allowed women the right to vote.