Ch 10 Notes

Religion & Reform Overview

• Essential Question: In what ways did religion inspire Americans to try to solve social problems?

Reviving Religion

• Time Period: 1790-1860

  • Church attendance remained high, with ¾ of 23 million Americans attending by 1850.

  • Rationalist ideas from the French Revolutionary era softened older orthodoxy.

  • Founding Fathers like Jefferson and Franklin promoted Deism.

  • Impact of Deism: Led to spinoffs from severe Puritanism, including the Unitarian faith in New England.

• Second Great Awakening

  • Emerged around 1800, spreading through camp meetings on the frontier.

  • Key feature: Increased feminization of religion in membership and theology.

Denominational Diversity

• Fragmentation of Religious Faiths

  • Western New York known as the Burned-Over-District due to intense revivalism.

  • Similar to the First Great Awakening, it widened lines between classes and regions.

  • Religious diversity reflected social cleavages around slavery issues, leading to splits in churches, political parties, and ultimately the Union.

An Age of Reform

• Prominent Reformers

  • Women played significant roles in reform, especially in suffrage.

  • Criminal codes softened during this period.

  • Notable Figures: Dorothy Dix advocated for mental illness reforms.

  • The American Peace Society (1828) formed to promote peace.

Women in Revolt

• Role of Women: Centered around the "cult of domesticity."

• Clamorous Reformers

  • Key figures: Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, Grimke sisters, Lucy Stone, Amelia Bloomer.

• Seneca Falls Convention (1848)

  • Stanton's "Declaration of Sentiments" focused on women's rights.

  • Women’s rights movement initially overshadowed by the anti-slavery campaign.

• Voting Rights:

  • Only white males over 21 could vote; women began being admitted to colleges.

Demon Rum—The "Old Deluder"

• Alcohol Reformers

  • American Temperance Society established in 1826.

  • Foes emphasized "temperance" over total abstinence; aimed for legislative elimination of intoxicants.

  • Maine Law of 1851: Sponsored by Neal S. Dow, prohibited the manufacture and sale of intoxicating liquor.

A Desert Zion in Utah

• Mormons

  • Founded by Joseph Smith with the Book of Mormon; also known as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

  • Smith and his brother were killed in 1844; leadership passed to Brigham Young.

  • Developed irrigation methods to thrive in desert conditions.

• Challenges

  • Conflict with anti-polygamy laws (1862, 1882) delayed Utah's statehood until 1896.