Final Exam Readings #2: The Second Great Awakening, Industrialization, Tocqueville, FDR

For Prof. Garmon's AMST 100 Final. Readings from various topics including the Second Great Awakening, Industrialization, Tocqueville's World, and The Great Depression.

“My Call to Preach the Gospel”

Jarena Lee, 1849. Lee felt called to preach the gospel but received lots of backlash for being an African American woman. She eventually received permission to preach from AME, and focused on evangelism while supporting women’s and African American’s rights.

John Gough, “Autobiography”

Joh Gough, 1845. Gough was one of the faces of the temperance movement, and he tells the story of how he went from being a drunk to signing a temperance pledge and getting sober. This is a very dramatic retelling.

“Gospel of Wealth”

Andrew Carnegie, 1889. Industrialization caused a gap between the wealthy and poor but it can be a good thing if handled well. Wealthy have a duty to benefit society with their money. They should invest their money in institutions that help people.

“Poverty and Progress”

Henry George, 1879. Industrialization causes concentration of wealth that only benefits the wealthy. Private ownership creates poverty. Proposes a “single tax” on land that would replace all other taxes and help redistribute. Both an economic and moral argument.

Democracy in America

Alexis de Tocqueville, 1835 & 1840. Americans have more equality than French because it is a norm and because America has a more centralized government. Tyranny of the majority can occur if the majority becomes too powerful, but it checked by institutions and decentralized government. Newspapers and associations bring community and widespread knowledge.

“Four Freedoms Speech”

Franklin Delano Roosevelt, January 6, 1941. It is important to defend and promote the freedom of speech and expression, freedom of worship, freedom of want, and freedom from fear because they are essential to life.