Social Reform: Definition and Scope

Social Reform

• Social reform is reshaping and reforming culturally accepted laws and norms in light of new cultural paradigms.
• It can occur at local, regional, national, or even global levels.
• The most effective means of achieving social reform is through reform movements.

Reform Era

• Historians designate the period from 1830-1850 as the Age of Reform or Reform Era.
• During this period, the U.S. witnessed an abundance of social reform movements.
• Contextual factors that fueled these reform movements include:
  • Second Great Awakening
  • Industrial Revolution
  • Transcendentalism
  • Urbanization

Second Great Awakening

• The Second Great Awakening was a period of Protestant revivals that occurred in the U.S. from approximately 1795 to 1835.
• It resulted in a tremendous increase in church growth, the establishment of numerous seminaries and other institutions of learning, and mission societies focused on reaching people with their message of hope and transformation.
• The religious fervor translated into a passion for social change, leading to many reform movements.

Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution started in England in the late 18th century and spread globally, ushering in significant changes in workplace technologies and living standards.
• In the U.S., it resulted in better living standards for only a fraction of the population, while women, children, immigrants, and uneducated laborers were often paid less and worked in unsanitary, overcrowded factories.
• Economic reformers made these issues central to their calls for action, resulting in the rise of labor union advocacy for the disenfranchised.

Transcendentalism

• Transcendentalism was a movement of the 1820s and 1830s based on synthesizing philosophical, political, and religious precepts.
• It focused on the innate purity and goodness of human beings and the environment, blaming corruption on institutional society.
• Reformers spoke out ardently against U.S. policies regarding Native Americans, the institution of slavery, and the Mexican-American War.

Urbanization

• Urbanization was one of the most significant social changes associated with industrialization.
• The invention of the steam engine transformed logistics and allowed production factories to locate inland, near urban centers, enticing job seekers and employees to move.
• Migration to urban areas exacerbated negative issues related to housing, transportation, city infrastructure, and public services, leading to various reform movements.

Social Reform Movements

• Many social reform movements grew and developed during the 19th century, focusing on issues such as:
  • Abolition
  • Temperance
  • Labor and workplace safety
  • Education
  • Women's rights
  • Prison reform

Abolitionism

• Abolitionism was the reform movement dedicated to ending slavery and the slave trade in the U.S.
• The movement was part of a more significant global voice that ended slavery in England, western Europe, and elsewhere.
• The abolitionist movement took root in the North but was outlawed in the South.
• The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 resulted in the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.
• The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified December 6, 1865, officially abolished slavery in the United States.

Temperance

• Temperance was a 19th-century reform movement dedicated to mitigating or cessation of alcohol consumption.
• The movement was primarily fueled by the efforts of churches impacted by the Second Great Awakening.
• The temperance movement attracted a multitude of women activists and created thousands of temperance organizations.
• It became clear that women and children often suffered the most from another's alcohol abuse, leading to growing calls for reform related to women's right to vote, labor negotiations, and property ownership.

Labor Reform

• Labor reform is another example of social reform that occurred during the Age of Reform.
• The Industrial Revolution spurred labor reform, as workers organized to oppose factory working conditions and low wages.
• Numerous associations and unions formed to establish collective bargaining power, but courts mostly struck down their efforts.
• The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) were the two prominent national labor organizations.

Education

• Education reform was closely linked to labor reform.
• The working class supported public-funded education as a means to improve their lives.
• The labor unions representing the working class were strong advocates for education reform.
• Massachusetts provided the best educational model for national reform.
• Horace Mann was the prominent reformer of this era, advocating for education reform through the establishment of the first board of education and the creation of the first institute for teacher training.

Prison Reform

• Prison reform was another prominent reform movement of the 1800s.
• Before the prison system, criminals were whipped, branded, fined, sentenced to physical labor, or sentenced to death, depending on the crime.
• Reformers did not always agree on the purpose of imprisonment and the best methods of prison organization.
• Prisons were generally unclean, crowded, and populated with a mix of men, women, children, and those with mental health challenges.
• Dorothea Dix was instrumental in the asylum movement and other prison reforms.

Later Reform Efforts

• The Progressive Era, or Progressive Movement (1896-1916), was the period that followed the Age of Reform and improved upon its foundation.
• The New Deal was the promulgation of federal programs from 1933-1939 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.
• New Deal reforms expanded and redefined the role of government in America, addressing the need for continued improvements upon 19th-century reforms.

Social Reform

• Social reform is reshaping and reforming culturally accepted laws and norms in light of new cultural paradigms.
• It can occur at local, regional, national, or even global levels.
• The most effective means of achieving social reform is through reform movements.

Reform Era

• Historians designate the period from 1830-1850 as the Age of Reform or Reform Era.
• During this period, the U.S. witnessed an abundance of social reform movements.
• Contextual factors that fueled these reform movements include:
  • Second Great Awakening
  • Industrial Revolution
  • Transcendentalism
  • Urbanization

Second Great Awakening

• The Second Great Awakening was a period of Protestant revivals that occurred in the U.S. from approximately 1795 to 1835.
• It resulted in a tremendous increase in church growth, the establishment of numerous seminaries and other institutions of learning, and mission societies focused on reaching people with their message of hope and transformation.
• The religious fervor translated into a passion for social change, leading to many reform movements.

Industrial Revolution

• The Industrial Revolution started in England in the late 18th century and spread globally, ushering in significant changes in workplace technologies and living standards.
• In the U.S., it resulted in better living standards for only a fraction of the population, while women, children, immigrants, and uneducated laborers were often paid less and worked in unsanitary, overcrowded factories.
• Economic reformers made these issues central to their calls for action, resulting in the rise of labor union advocacy for the disenfranchised.

Transcendentalism

• Transcendentalism was a movement of the 1820s and 1830s based on synthesizing philosophical, political, and religious precepts.
• It focused on the innate purity and goodness of human beings and the environment, blaming corruption on institutional society.
• Reformers spoke out ardently against U.S. policies regarding Native Americans, the institution of slavery, and the Mexican-American War.

Urbanization

• Urbanization was one of the most significant social changes associated with industrialization.
• The invention of the steam engine transformed logistics and allowed production factories to locate inland, near urban centers, enticing job seekers and employees to move.
• Migration to urban areas exacerbated negative issues related to housing, transportation, city infrastructure, and public services, leading to various reform movements.

Social Reform Movements

• Many social reform movements grew and developed during the 19th century, focusing on issues such as:
  • Abolition
  • Temperance
  • Labor and workplace safety
  • Education
  • Women's rights
  • Prison reform

Abolitionism

• Abolitionism was the reform movement dedicated to ending slavery and the slave trade in the U.S.
• The movement was part of a more significant global voice that ended slavery in England, western Europe, and elsewhere.
• The abolitionist movement took root in the North but was outlawed in the South.
• The election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 resulted in the secession of Southern states and the Civil War.
• The Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, ratified December 6, 1865, officially abolished slavery in the United States.

Temperance

• Temperance was a 19th-century reform movement dedicated to mitigating or cessation of alcohol consumption.
• The movement was primarily fueled by the efforts of churches impacted by the Second Great Awakening.
• The temperance movement attracted a multitude of women activists and created thousands of temperance organizations.
• It became clear that women and children often suffered the most from another's alcohol abuse, leading to growing calls for reform related to women's right to vote, labor negotiations, and property ownership.

Labor Reform

• Labor reform is another example of social reform that occurred during the Age of Reform.
• The Industrial Revolution spurred labor reform, as workers organized to oppose factory working conditions and low wages.
• Numerous associations and unions formed to establish collective bargaining power, but courts mostly struck down their efforts.
• The Knights of Labor and the American Federation of Labor (AFL) were the two prominent national labor organizations.

Education

• Education reform was closely linked to labor reform.
• The working class supported public-funded education as a means to improve their lives.
• The labor unions representing the working class were strong advocates for education reform.
• Massachusetts provided the best educational model for national reform.
• Horace Mann was the prominent reformer of this era, advocating for education reform through the establishment of the first board of education and the creation of the first institute for teacher training.

Prison Reform

• Prison reform was another prominent reform movement of the 1800s.
• Before the prison system, criminals were whipped, branded, fined, sentenced to physical labor, or sentenced to death, depending on the crime.
• Reformers did not always agree on the purpose of imprisonment and the best methods of prison organization.
• Prisons were generally unclean, crowded, and populated with a mix of men, women, children, and those with mental health challenges.
• Dorothea Dix was instrumental in the asylum movement and other prison reforms.

Later Reform Efforts

• The Progressive Era, or Progressive Movement (1896-1916), was the period that followed the Age of Reform and improved upon its foundation.
• The New Deal was the promulgation of federal programs from 1933-1939 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt in response to the Great Depression.
• New Deal reforms expanded and redefined the role of government in America, addressing the need for continued improvements upon 19th-century reforms.