Key Figures and Movements in 19th Century American Reform

Transcendentalism

A philosophical and literary movement emphasizing individual intuition, nature, and self-reliance; rejected materialism and organized religion. Key figures include Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau.

Frederick Douglass

A formerly enslaved man who became a leading abolitionist, writer, and speaker; published The North Star and advocated for equality for all people.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A transcendentalist writer and philosopher who promoted self-reliance and individuality; author of 'Self-Reliance'.

Sojourner Truth

A formerly enslaved woman who became an abolitionist and women's rights activist; known for her 'Ain't I a Woman?' speech.

Thomas Cole

Founder of the Hudson River School, an art movement focused on romantic landscapes that emphasized nature's beauty and American identity.

William Lloyd Garrison

A radical abolitionist who published The Liberator; demanded immediate emancipation and full equality for African Americans.

Charles Grandison Finney

A preacher and leader in the Second Great Awakening; promoted revivalism, personal salvation, and social reforms like temperance and abolition.

Susan B. Anthony

A leading women's rights activist and suffragist; co-founded the National Woman Suffrage Association with Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

The first women's rights convention in U.S. history, organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott; issued the 'Declaration of Sentiments' demanding equality and suffrage.

Elizabeth Cady Stanton

A leader in the women's rights movement; co-organized the Seneca Falls Convention and wrote the 'Declaration of Sentiments'.

Enlightenment and Deism

Emphasized reason, science, and natural laws over religious dogma; Deists believed God created the universe but did not interfere in human affairs.

Oneida Community

A utopian community founded by John Humphrey Noyes; practiced communal living, shared property, and 'complex marriage'.

Women's Rights Movement Purpose

To achieve equality for women in legal rights, property ownership, education, and voting (suffrage).

Temperance Movement

A social reform movement aiming to limit or ban alcohol consumption; linked to improving morality and family stability.

Abolition Movement

A reform movement to end slavery in the U.S.; early conflicts included disagreements between gradualists and immediate abolitionists, and debates over women's roles in activism.