Attitudes Toward Sex in Antebellum America

In terms of the book, it describes the attitudes of sexuality people transformed in the 19th century. The public discussion of sexuality in America first came about in the 1820s. Predictably, Americans diverged significantly on how to approach the controversial topic. As far as sexual attitudes in the public reflection of reproduction are concerned, it involved four frameworks: folk wisdom, evangelical Christianity, reform physiology and sex at the center of life. Horowitz explains that she has organized the documents under four divergent frameworks that can be seen as "four voices in a conversation" about sex in 19th-century America. Each of the four stances shaped the way Americans received and conveyed sexual intimacy. In my point of view, I claim that folk wisdom plays a crucial role in Antebellum America. Personally, evangelical Christianity provides people a more appropriate view, but folk wisdom is realer that can affect people directly. In this essay, I want to investigate the relationship between the influence of frameworks and the middle class.

In the antebellum America, changes in the economy, changes in work, changes in the family, urbanization, the relationship of men and women, the rise of philanthropy and the Second Great Awakening exert influences on people's minds. Folk wisdom can reflect the transformation directly. Folk wisdom is a portion of vernacular culture, depending on oral tradition from one generation to generation. In other words, folk wisdom is close to the common people's life, utilizing the uncomplicated way to affect. Typically, Aristotle's Master-piece-outcome of the current era-demonstrates male perspective and slighted women's vernacular sexual culture like childbirth, abortion and so forth. Apparently, folk wisdom is of fanatical importance; however, Horowitz writes "Although plenty of prescriptive statements from the pulpit or the printed page shaped what Americans thought and the pulpit or the printed page shaped what Americans thought and felt, they did not fully supplant what many saw as common knowledge." Folk wisdom is not adequate. Thus, there exist other frameworks to cope with common knowledge of people. America developed increasingly, and more and more people move to middle class. They wish that they are capable of giving better education to their offspring. Women can attend to school as well as men, illustrating that women possess their rights to enjoy the responsibility. Moreover, the changes of sexual attitudes teach Americans to respect females. In the middle class, women gain increasing importance. The folk wisdom can offer a value of home, regulating the behavior of people. The middle class wants their children to succeed and retain the value view. It can also be seen in the China. Parents are shy towards sexuality, but Chinese retain their traditional habit and customs, which is priceless. In a word, folk wisdom is the better approach to get access for common people, which is useful to retain the value of the home.

In that era, middle class has raised. It is vital to find that how the vernacular sexuality and so forth affect the middle class. From Aristotle's Master-piece, it is a manual, which was thought to have provided information for amateur midwives and young married couples about pregnancy and sex. Document 1 demonstrates the folk wisdom. It writes "I shall shew the Prohibition or Restriction that the Creator