Changing Attitudes and Values

Women’s Rights

Fairness in Government Temperance Movement Suffrage: Right to vote

“Nobody ever helps me into carriages, or over mudpuddles, or gives me any best place! And ain’t I a woman?”

-Sojourner Truth

Growth of Public Education

What did Schools teach? Punctuality Obedience Disciplined work

habits Patriotism Basic Religious

education

Elementary Schools were primitive Most teachers had

little to no schooling.

Children from rural homes attended school when they were not needed on the farm.

Growth of Public Education

Secondary Schools Learned classical

languages Only middle-class

families could afford to have their sons attend these schools.

Girls were allowed to attend with hopes that they would find a husband.

Higher Education Colleges and

Universities Expanded. Curriculum

emphasized ancient history and languages, philosophy, religion, and law.

Added courses in science; chemistry and physics.

New Directions in Science: John Dalton

English Quaker school teacher.

Developed modern atomic theory: All different kinds of atoms combined to make all chemical substances.

New Directions in Science: Archaeology

1856 Workers in the Neander Valley of Germany accidentally uncovered the fossilized bones of prehistoric people

New Directions in Science: Charles Darwin

Members of each species compete to survive.

Natural forces selected those with physical traits best adapted to their environment.

Created lots of conflict between scientists and Christians.

Social Darwinism

Some theorists used Darwin’s ideas to support their own beliefs about society.

Encouraged Racism

“History shows me one way, and one way only , in which a high state of civilization has been produced, namely the struggle of race with race, and the survival of the physically and mentally fitter race.”

-Karl Pearson

British Mathematician

Ideas like this would ultimately lead to Imperialism.