APUSH Chapter 12

Abby Kelley

A prominent abolitionist, women’s rights advocate, and pacifist, known for her extensive public speaking and efforts to secure women’s right to free speech

19th century reform movement topics

Slavery, temperance, prison reform, public education, worker welfare, and women’s rights

Strategies reform movements used to spread their message

Relied on moral suasion, published pamphlets, gathered petitions, and sent speakers to promote their causes

Ralph Waldo Emerson’s view on the reform era

Believed the era offered unprecedented hope for societal improvement

Utopian community

A society aiming to create an ideal environment, often characterized by cooperative living and shared property

Key goals of utopian communities

To recognize society, counter individualism, reduce economic disparity, and reform gender and marriage norms

Who founded the Shakers, and what were their core beliefs?

Mother Ann Lee, believe in gender equality, “virgin purity”, and communal living

How did the Shakers sustain their communities economically

Innovated in commercial farming, marketed seeds and herbal medicines, bred cattle, and crafted renowned furniture

Oneida Community’s marital practice

“Complex marriage”, where all members formed a single “holy family”, and relationships were publicly recorded

Why did the Oneida Community face controversy?

Their rejection of traditional marriage and radical practices led to societal backlash and legal challenges

Second Great Awakening’s influence on reform movements

Emphasized humans as “free moral agents”, inspiring efforts to transform individuals and society for the better

Burned-Over Districts

Regions in upstate New York and northern Ohio known for intense religious revivals and reform activity

American Temperance Society goal

To encourage habitual and occasional drinkers to renounce alcohol entirely

Why did some Americans oppose reform movements?

Viewed reform efforts as restricting personal freedoms and interfering with social customs, like drinking and recreation

How did Catholics view Protestant-led reform efforts?

Opposed them, emphasizing community and family over individual moral responsibility

Dual vision of freedom that reformers promoted

Liberating individuals from societal vices while encouraging self-discipline and moral virtue

Reformers use of mass printing

Organizations distributed millions of pages of religious and reform materials 1825-1835 to spread their message

Initial reform focuses before slavery

Drinking, Sabbath-breaking, and illiteracy

Early opponents of slavery

Quakers, slaves, and free blacks

When did slavery debates re-emerge after the Revolutionary War?

Events like the Missouri controversy

Colonization

The idea of deporting freed slaves to Africa, the Caribbean, or Central America; popular before the 1830s

American Colonization Society (1816)

An organization promoting gradual abolition and resettlement of freed blacks in Africa

What colony did the AMC establish, and its capital?

Liberia, with its capital Monrovia, named after President James Monroe

Why did southern colonizationists support colonization?

They believed free blacks were a “degraded” group and a danger to white society

What assumption was colonization based on

America was fundamentally a white society

Why did some African Americans emigrate to Liberia

Some were freed on the condition they leave; others sought to spread Christianity or escape discrimination

Stance of most African Americans on colonization

Opposed it, asserting their rights as Americans.

1817 Philadelphia National Black Convention

3,000 free blacks stated they were Americans and would not leave their homeland.

What action did black organizations take to oppose colonization?

Removed the word "African" from their names.

1830 abolitionist’s demands

Immediate abolition and full integration of freed blacks into society.

What did David Walker's Appeal (1829) advocate?

Pride in African heritage and warned of divine punishment for slavery.

The Liberator.

By William Lloyd Garrison in 1831, marked a shift in abolitionism

Garrison’s stance on compromise

Rejected compromise, advocating immediate abolition.

What did Garrison argue in Thoughts on African Colonization?

Blacks must be seen as Americans, not aliens.

What tools did abolitionists use to spread their message?

Steam printing presses for pamphlets, newspapers, and petitions.

American Anti-Slavery Society (1833)

An organization that rapidly grew, attracting citizens and prominent supporters.

Theodore Weld

A key abolitionist speaker and author of Slavery As It Is (1839), documenting mistreatment of slaves.

Charity fairs

Fundraisers selling goods; Maria Weston Chapman organized the National Anti-Slavery Bazaar.

What strategy did many abolitionists use to combat slavery?

Moral suasion, convincing slaveholders of their sins.

Main goal of abolitionists using moral suasion

Awaken public opinion, not infiltrate political parties.

How did abolitionists redefine freedom?

As self-ownership and the right to enjoy the fruits of one’s labor.

What did abolitionists oppose in the South's view of labor?

The concept of "wage slavery."

What principle did abolitionists advocate regarding citizenship?

Birthright citizenship, based on birthplace, not race or ancestry.

What early legal treatise addressed free black Americans' rights?

William Yates' work in 1838.

What laws were repealed in Ohio in 1849?

Black Laws.

When were Boston public schools integrated?

1855.

What society did abolitionists envision?

One with universal freedom and blacks as integral members of the national community.

What did Lydia Maria Child argue in An Appeal in Favor of That Class of Americans Called Africans (1833)?

That blacks were as American as whites.

What did Angelina Grimke describe abolitionism as?

A "school in which human rights are investigated."

What symbols did abolitionists popularize for freedom?

Symbols like the Liberty Bell.

Garrison’s view of the Constitution

He burned it, calling it a covenant with the devil.

Frederick Douglass’s interpretation of the Constitution

That it offered no protection for slavery.

What roles did black abolitionists play in the antislavery movement?

Opposed colonization, demanded equal rights, and held roles in the American Anti-Slavery Society as organizers and speakers.

James Forton

A black sailmaker who financed The Liberator in its early years.

Frederick Douglass’s contribution to abolitionism

His autobiography inspired Uncle Tom’s Cabin and highlighted the realities of slavery.

Who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and when was it published?

Harriet Beecher Stowe; serialized in 1851 and published in 1852.

Why was Uncle Tom’s Cabin significant?

It humanized enslaved individuals, depicted the brutality of slavery, and appealed to emotions and morality.

1st racially integrated social movement in US history

The abolitionist movement, which focused on equal rights for blacks.

What challenges did black abolitionists face within the movement?

White abolitionists often held key decision-making roles, marginalizing black leaders.

What did Henry Highland Garnet advocate for in his 1843 speech?

Slave rebellion; his speech was initially suppressed but later published.

How did black abolitionists challenge pseudoscience?

By disproving claims of black inferiority and promoting Africa's cultural significance.

What employment strategy did black abolitionists encourage?

Pursuing skilled jobs to counter stereotypes.

Alternative celebrations for black communities

January 1 (end of the slave trade in 1808) and August 1 (West Indian emancipation).

Why were black communities excluded from July 4 celebrations?

They highlighted the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom while slavery persisted.

What was Frederick Douglass’s famous 1852 speech?

“What to the Slave, is the Fourth of July?” exposed the nation’s hypocrisy and called for universal application of freedom.

Why did some Northerners oppose abolitionism?

They feared it threatened the Union and white supremacy.

How did Southerners suppress abolitionist literature?

By burning it, often with federal approval.

How did mob violence affect the abolitionist movement?

Convinced Northerners that slavery threatened democratic freedoms.

Impact of Elijah P Lovejoy’s murder

Inspired abolitionists like Wendell Phillips to join the movement.

Gag Rule

A rule preventing Congress from discussing antislavery petitions.

Who led efforts to repeal the Gag Rule?

John Quincy Adams.

Why did abolitionists criticize the Gag Rule?

They viewed it as a threat to free speech.

What democratic principles did abolitionists champion?

Freedom of speech, press, and petition.

How did abolitionists view open debate?

As essential to democracy and the “rights of every freeman.”

What roles did women play in the abolition movement?

Provided grassroots strength. Lucy Colman became a lecturer, teacher at a Black school, and advocate for women’s rights

How did women participate politically in the 19th century?

They petitioned, attended meetings, marched in parades, lectured, fundraised, anprotested Indian removal

Female Moral Reform Society goal

To redeem prostitutes, protect single women’s morality, and expose men’s abuse of women

How did abolitionism inspire women’s rights

Advocating for the rights of slaves led women to recognize their own subordinate status

Grimke sisters contributions to women’s rights

They condemned slavery, defended women’s political participation, and advocated for equal rights and pay

Declaration of Sentiments

It condemned men’s “injuries and usurpations” over women and demanded equality in voting, education, employment and property rights

What did Margaret Fuller advocate for in “Women in the Nineteenth Century”

Equal opportunities for self-fulfillment and personal growth for both women and men

How did Sojourner Truth challenge stereotypes?

She emphasized women’s strength and labor

What did the 18660 New York law allow married women to do?

Sign contracts, buy and sell property, and retain their wages

What did feminists demand regarding personal freedom?

Control over their own bodies, decisions, and protection from domestic violence

Why did Abolitionism split in 1840?

Disputes over women’s roles in leadership and William Lloyd Garrison’s radical views