Society in Antebellum America

1. Evangelical Protestant Revivalism/Second Great Awakening

2. Social reforms 3. Ideals of domesticity

4. Transcendentalism and utopian communities

5. American Renaissance: artistic expressions

Reaction to rationalism (Enlightenment, Revolution)

Big audience, simple message

The Second Great Awakening

New York: Charles Finney (Presbyterian), little rational argument, faith and hard work, hell and brimstone

Baptists/Methodists: South and frontier, Peter Cartwright, thousands converted, became largest denominations

Millenialism: William Miller predicted the second coming of Christ on 10/21/1844. (It didn’t happen)

Mormons: Joseph Smith lead believers from NY to OH to MO to IL (Smith killed) to UT, Book of Morman/Polygamy

Examples

Temperance◦ Refraining from drinking alcohol◦ Ministers and Women◦ 13 states in total prohibited the

manufacture and sale of liquor Public Asylums

◦ Poorhouses◦ Prisons

Experiments with solitary confinement (stopped due to suicides)

◦ Mental hospitals Dorothy Dix fought against putting

mentally ill in prison States began to build mental

hospitals and provide treatment

Social Reforms

Free common schools◦ Horace Mann improved schools, required attendance,

lengthened school year, increased teacher preparedness

Moral Education◦ William McGuffey (PA)wrote elementary textbooks that

extolled virtues of hard work, punctuality, and sobriety (Industrial Era values)

◦ Influenced by Protestantism, so Catholics formed private schools

Higher Education◦ Private colleges in western states, Women’s colleges

(Seven Sisters), First HBCU in PA (Cheney University)

Public Education

Local and State success in the North and West◦ Wanted to work toward perfection in society

Little impact on the South◦ Committed to tradition, slow to support reforms

Southern fears of the alliance between social reformers and antislavery supporters, came to view social reforms as Northern conspiracy against Southern way of life

Impact of Social Reforms

Ideals of DomesticityRole of Women in America

Most of society was still rural Industrialization did influence change

◦ Men left for work◦ Children were less valuable

Avg. family from 7.04 in 1800 to 5.42 in 1830

Changing Families

Defined roles for men and women Men: economics and politics

◦ New positions in economy lead to aggressive behavior Women: Moral leaders, educators

◦ Must remain pious, passive Amelia Bloomer

◦ Attacked as "only one of the many manifestations of that wild spirit of socialism and agrarian radicalism which is at present so rife in our land."

◦ “Woman, robed and folded in her long dress, is beautiful. She walks gracefully. ... If she attempts to run, the charm is gone. . . . Take off the robes, and put on pants, and show the limbs, and grace and mystery are all gone.”

Cult of Domesticity

The Young Lady's Book of 1830: ",.. in whatever situation of life a woman is placed from her cradle to her grave, a spirit of obedience and submission, pliability of temper, and humility of mind, are required from her.“

Recollections of a Southern Matron: "If any habit of his annoyed me, I spoke of it once or twice, calmly, then bore it quietly.“

Rules for Conjugal and Domestic Happiness: "Do not expect too much.“

Cult of Domesticity, examples

A way of pacifying, “separate but equal” No vote, no property, ¼ to ½ of wages,

can’t be doctors, lawyers, clergy.

Cult of Domesticity, cont’d

Mill Girls Revisited◦ 25 cents a day ($4.97)◦ Some of the earliest

strikes, 1824,1828, 1834

Monopolized teaching profession◦ Led to more reading,

writing, publishing◦ T. Jefferson suggests

women should not read; only dance, draw, and listen to music

Employment

Some began in antislavery movement◦ Kept from leadership roles/discussions

Grimke Sisters (Sarah and Angelina)◦ Letter on the Condition of Women and the Equality of the Sexes

(1837)◦ “During the early part of my life, my lot was cast among the

butterflies of the fashionable world; and of this class of women, I am constrained to say, both from experience and observation, that their education is miserably deficient; that they are taught to regard marriage as the one thing needful, the only avenue to distinction.. . . “

◦ "I ask no favors for my sex. I surrender not our claim to equality. All I ask of our brethren is that they will take their feet from off our necks, and permit us to stand upright on the ground which God has designed us to occupy. ... To me it is perfectly clear that whatsoever it is morally right for a man to do, it is morally right for a woman to do."

Elizabeth Cady Stanton begin campaigning after being barred from speaking at rally

Origins of Women’s Rights

Leading feminists Issued “Declaration of Sentiments”

◦ “When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one portion of the family of man to assume among the people of the earth a position different from that which they have hitherto occupied, but one to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes that impel them to such a course.”

◦ “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; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.”

Afterwards, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony worked together, but were overshadowed by abolition movement

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

Mormons Shakers

◦ Property in common, men and women separate New Harmony

◦ Secular, Robert Owen, Socialist, answer to problems cause by Industrialization

Oneida Community◦ Dedicated to perfect equality, shared property

(sometimes partners) Communal child raising, silverware

Fourier Phalanxes◦ French socialist ideas, work and live in communities

Utopian Communities