Social Movements in 19th Century America

Women's Movement

• Post-American Revolution, women were primarily seen as caregivers, adhering to the Cult of Domesticity.
• Discontent with societal roles grew, paralleling the abolitionist movement's struggle for equality.
• Key figures like Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton organized the Seneca Falls Convention.
• The Declaration of Sentiments was a pivotal document drafted at this convention, calling for women's rights.

Abolitionist Movement

• Aimed to eradicate slavery in the United States, heavily influenced by the Second Great Awakening.
• Notable initiatives included the Underground Railroad, aiding enslaved people in their escape.
• Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman emerged as prominent advocates, both having escaped slavery.

Prison Reform

• Dorothea Dix led a national campaign to improve conditions for the mentally ill.
• She visited various institutions to highlight poor treatment, advocating for humane care and better facilities.

Second Great Awakening

• A religious revival that spanned from the 1800s to the 1840s, reigniting Protestant beliefs.
• Influential preacher Charles Finney played a crucial role in spreading these ideas.

Education Reform

• Focused on expanding access to public education as a means to alleviate poverty.
• Key leaders included Horace Mann, who established public schools, Noah Webster, who produced an influential dictionary, and William McGuffey, who authored foundational school books.

Transcendentalism

• Reformers emphasized spiritual and intellectual growth, reacting against materialism.
• The Hudson River School, a group of artists, celebrated American landscapes through romanticism.
• Prominent works include Henry David Thoreau's "Civil Disobedience" and Ralph Waldo Emerson's "Self-Reliance," reflecting transcendentalist ideals.

Temperance Movement

• Advocated against alcohol consumption, aiming to eliminate its negative impact on society.
• Leaders like Bishop James Cannon and Mary Hunt championed the cause, achieving some successes, including the establishment of Prohibition through the 18th Amendment, which was later repealed by the 21st Amendment.