Religion, Romanticism and Reform (1800-1860)

These flashcards cover key concepts, movements, and individuals from the period of Religion, Romanticism, and Reform in American history.

Deism

The belief in a rational God and a rational universe, emphasizing reason over traditional religious doctrines.

Unitarianism

A religious belief system that emphasizes the 'oneness' of God and universal salvation.

Universalism

A religious doctrine stating that all people are eligible for salvation.

Second Great Awakening

A religious revival that took place from 1800 to 1840, associated with the growth of new denominations.

Camp Meetings

Outdoor religious gatherings used to preach and convert attendees during religious revivals.

Cane Ridge Revival

A significant camp meeting held in Kentucky in 1801 that drew a crowd of over 10,000.

Circuit Riders

Methodist preachers who traveled on horseback to spread their teachings across the frontier.

Transcendentalism

A philosophical movement emphasizing transcendence over the ordinary through intuition and imagination.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A key figure in the transcendentalist movement, known for promoting individualism and the beauty of America.

Henry David Thoreau

An essayist and philosopher who advocated for civil disobedience and the pursuit of happiness.

Mormonism

A religious movement founded by Joseph Smith, who claimed to have revealed a lost gospel through an angel.

Brigham Young

Joseph Smith's successor who led Mormons to the Great Salt Lake in 1847.

Temperance Movement

A social movement aimed at reducing alcohol consumption and its negative effects.

Catharine Beecher

An advocate for women's education and domestic economy, author of a key text on household management.

Seneca Falls Convention

The first women's rights convention held in 1848, advocating for equality between men and women.

Educational Reform

A movement led by Horace Mann aimed at creating public schools and improving education access.

Dorothea Dix

A social reformer who advocated for mental health reform and better treatment for mentally ill patients.

American Colonization Society (ACS)

An organization established in 1816 that aimed to return free blacks to Africa.

William Lloyd Garrison

An abolitionist who published 'The Liberator' and advocated for immediate emancipation.

Abolitionism

A movement to end slavery, which gained momentum in the early to mid-19th century.

Frederick Douglass

An escaped slave who became a prominent abolitionist and published the 'North Star'.

Elijah Lovejoy

An abolitionist killed by a pro-slavery mob, becoming a martyr for the abolitionist cause.

Anti-Slavery Society

An organization founded to promote the abolition of slavery through nonviolent means.

Garrisonian Split

The division within the abolitionist movement over issues of women's rights and methods of protest.

Hawthorne, Dickinson, Poe

Notable American writers whose works explored themes of morality, emotion, and the human condition.

Compromise of 1850

A set of laws passed to ease tensions between slave and free states in the wake of territorial expansion.

Abolitionist Mobs

Violent groups that opposed abolitionists and in some cases attacked them.

Religious Justifications for Slavery

Arguments made by southerners that slavery was sanctioned by the Bible.

Moral and Physical Thermometer

A concept introduced by Benjamin Rush to illustrate the effects of alcohol consumption.

Transcendental Club

A group formed in the 1830s that included key figures in the transcendentalist movement.

Peter Cartwright

A prominent Methodist preacher known for his revival meetings and baptisms.

Herman Melville

An author known for writing novels such as Moby Dick, exploring complex themes in humanity.

Romanticism

A cultural shift in thought, literature, and arts emphasizing emotion, individualism, and nature.