Democratic Ideals

DBQ

In the United States during the reform movements in the 1820s through the 1850s, the ideals of equality, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness helped define the democracy, and were inculcated into the masses of America the emerge in the antebellum era. These movements were based on the idea of America as a utopian society were all can start anew. This idea came from the signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, marking the birth of the United States. The democratic ideals of the people ruling themselves grew, and many wanted to expand the democracy they worked so hard to form and shape. The reform movements had a huge effect on the expansion democratic ideal. These movements included education, abolitionists, woman's rights, religion, and politics.

Behind these reform impulse lay the religious movement the evangelical revival also known as the great awakening. Charles G. Finney established that protestant revivalism was a powerful force for the improvement of society as a whole. "Harlots and drunkards, and infidels, and all sorts of abandoned characters are awakened and reformed" proclaimed Finney (Doc B). Finney led enormous revivals in Rochester in 183 and New York City in 1831. Finney emphasized on free will, salvation, and equality. These revival movements contributed to the growth of Methodist, Baptist, and other evangelical denominations in the United States. It was believed the humans were moral agents of god who could choose to be good or evil.

This era of reform saw many feminist movements in the United States. Many of these reforms demanded equal status for women in society. New York female Reform Society tried to close house of prostitution and opened a refuge to convert prostitutes to evangelical Protestants. The Woman's Right Convention held in Seneca Falls, New York in 1848 (Doc I) was a meeting were the women proclaimed the idea of rewriting the Deceleration of Independence to include women. Elizabeth Cady Stanton was the famous feminist who spoke at the convention about the women having the right to vote and offered the same rights as men. They wanted equal rights and wanted to be treated as an American citizen. The women were looking to escape the role of the average house wife who cleaned, took care of the children, and cooked dinner. They wanted to become part of the government making decision, and they wanted to be respected as American citizens the same as the men. Through there hard effort, women to achieve the expansion of the democratic ideal.

Due to the horrible living conditions of the urbanize areas, crime prevention became a necessary reform movement. "We might feel pride in the reflection, that our young country... was the first to adopt the penitentiary system of prison discipline, and the first to attempt to prevent the commission of crime" (Doc A). The reformers established institutions such as prisons