1815 - 1860 IS KNOWN AS THE ERA OF REFORM IN THE UNITED STATES 

REFORMERS FOUGHT TO END SLAVERY, INCREASE ACCESS TO EDUCATION, IMPROVE CONDITIONS IN PRISONS, AND EXPAND WOMEN'S RIGHTS

SOME CRITICS SAID AMERICA WAS NOT LIVING UP TO ITS IDEALS.  THEY POINTED OUT THAT THE PROMISE OF LIBERTY AND EQUALITY WAS NOT GOING OUT TO SLAVES AND TO THE WOMEN OF THE COUNTRY.

MANY USED TO BELIEVE IN PREDESTINATION OR THE BELIEF THAT YOUR STATUS IN HEAVEN AS DETERMINED AHEAD OF TIME.  WITH THE SECOND GREAT AWAKENING, THEY PREACHED THAT SALVATION HAD MORE TO DO WITH YOUR ACTIONS DURING YOUR LIFE.  THIS CAUSED MANY PEOPLE TO LOOK AT LIFE AND FIGURE OUT THAT THEY HAD TO MAKE SOME CHANGES ABOUT HOW THINGS WERE GOING.

CHARLES GRANDISON FINNEY WAS  A MINISTER THAT SPOKE PASSIONATELY ABOUT INDIVIDUAL SALVATION BEING THE FIRST STEP TOWARD THE "COMPLETE REFORMATION OF THE WHOLE WORLD."

DOROTHEA DIX WAS ONE OF THE MOST OUTSPOKEN REFORMERS.  SHE CONCENTRATED HER EFFORTS ON HOW PEOPLE THAT WERE IMPRISONED WERE TREATED AND HOW THE MENTALLY ILL WERE TREATED.

DIX'S EFFORTS WERE REWARDED.  STATES BUILT PRISONS WITH ONLY ONE OR TWO INMATES IN A CELL.  CRUEL PUNISHMENTS WERE BANNED, AND PEOPLE CONVICTED OF MINOR CRIMES RECEIVED SHORTER PRISON SENTENCES.

THE TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT WAS A CAMPAIGN AGAINST ALCOHOL ABUSE.  THEY WON A MAJOR BATTLE IN 1851 WHEN MAINE BANNED THE SALE OF ALCOHOL.

UNTIL THE MID 1800'S, FEW AMERICAN CHILDREN ATTENDED ANY SCHOOL.  IN 1827, MASSACHUSETTS BECAME THE FIRST STATE TO REQUIRE FREE COMMUNITY EDUCATION.  

AS MORE MEN EARNED THE RIGHT TO VOTE, REFORMERS ACTED TO IMPROVE EDUCATION.  HORACE MANN BECAME THE HEAD OF THE MASSACHUSETTS SCHOOL BOARD AND PUSHED FOR NEW SCHOOLS, SORTING CHILDREN INTO GROUPS BY AGE, EXTENDING THE LENGTH OF THE SCHOOL YEAR, AND INCREASING TEACHER'S PAY.

AFRICAN AMERICANS WERE NOT ENCOURAGED TO GO TO SCHOOL.  IN THE 1830'S PRUDENCE CRANDALL BEGAN  A SCHOOL FOR AFRICAN AMERICAN GIRLS.  

THOMAS GALLAUDET SET UP A SCHOOL FOR THE DEAF IN HARTFORD, CT

SAMUEL GRIDLEY HOWE ESTABLISHED A SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND IN 1832.

WOMEN HAD FEW POLITICAL OR LEGAL RIGHTS IN THE MID 1800'S.  WHEN A WOMAN MARRIED HER HUSBAND TOOK OVER POSSESSION OF ALL HER BELONGINGS.  IF A WOMAN WORKED OUTSIDE THE HOME ALL OF HER WAGES WENT TO HER HUSBAND.  A HUSBAND HAD THE RIGHT TO HIT HIS WIFE AS LONG AS HE DIDN'T SERIOUSLY INJURE HER.

ANGELINA AND SARAH GRIMKE WERE ABOLITIONISTS, BUT DURING THEIR STUDIES, THEY NOTICED HOW MUCH THERE WAS A LACK OF JUSTICE FOR WOMEN.  

SOJOURNER TRUTH, A FORMER SLAVE, TOOK UP THE FIGHT FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS AS WELL.

LUCRETIA MOTT AND ELIZABETH CADY STANTON JOINED OTHERS IN A WORLD ANTISLAVERY CONVENTION IN LONDON.  WOMEN WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TAKE AN ACTIVE PART IN THE CONVENTION, SO THEY HAD TO SIT BEHIND A CURTAIN ACTUALLY!  WHEN THEY ARRIVED HOME THEY ORGANIZED A WOMEN'S RIGHTS CONVENTION CALLED THE SENECA FALLS CONVENTION.

SUSAN B. ANTHONY HAD FEWER COMMITMENTS THAN ELIZABETH CADY STANTON, SO SHE TOOK UP HER FIGHT AND TRAVELED ACROSS THE COUNTRY FIGHTING FOR WOMEN'S EQUALITY.  SHE EVEN GOT ARRESTED FOR ATTEMPTING TO VOTE.  SHE PAID HER $100 FINE AND KEPT TRYING TO HELP OUT THE CAUSE FOR WOMEN.  HER IDEAS WERE NOT POPULAR, BUT WENT A LONG WAY TRYING TO FIGHT FOR WOMEN'S RIGHTS.