Reform Dbq

Reform DBQ

With the nation still enduring construction, the United States went through many developments. The reform movements of religion, social life, and economics from the time period of 1825 to 1850 pursued the Democratic ideals of the time.

Religion endured many changes that affected the lives of many people. The Second Great Awakening, a religious revival characterized by widespread conversion and massive "camp meetings," led to the creation of many denominations of religions. The spur of this movement started with camp meetings, where a preacher would spread his gospel, and as many as twenty-five thousand people attended. Charles G Finney, a very popular preacher of the Second Great Awakening, stated, "When the churches are awakened and reformed, the reformation and salvation of sinners will follow." He meant that when the churches change, people that were sinners would find redemption within the new teachings (Doc B).

The changes within religion deeply affected the social lives of Americans. Common changes included prison reform, temperance, women's rights, and abolitionism. New England reformer Dorothea Dix was famous for the changes between prison and asylums. Because of her, the accommodation between the mentally ill and the cruel were separated. Another concern of social life was the problem of alcohol. The consumption of alcohol threatened the efficiency and safety of jobs and the sanctity of families. The Temperance Movement arose from concerns, and was soon spread to thousands of local groups. The Movement was to help treat alcoholics and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed, because the consumers were destroying families and jobs. "The Drunkards Progress" depicts the steps of drinking to death, and shows how the death of that person leaves the family in ruins (Doc H).

Women were still not treated as equals, and their rights were being pursued. In the Seneca Falls Declaration, Elizabeth Stanton explains how women are a part of the country, pay taxes, but yet still do not have equal rights and laws that men have. They pushed for the right for vote (Doc I). Yet, the crusade for women's rights was eclipsed by abolitionism. Slavery was still a major concern, although a law stated that the importation of slaves is illegal. Many slaveholders allowed, and even pushed for, the natural breeding of black slaves. In the engraving by Patrick Reason, the black woman exclaims that she is a woman and a "sister." What Patrick displayed was that blacks have no rights, and being a black woman, that person had no say-so whatsoever.

Economics also were impacted by the social changes. A major impact was the addition to allow women to work in public. The Lowell factory in Massachusetts was famous for the employment of women. The factory gave women, which mainly only single women worked here, opportunity for religion, housing, and