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Reform Movements of the Mid-1800'sDuring the time period between 1825-1850, ideals of equality, liberty and the pursuit of happiness defined democracy and were diffused among the masses of America through a series of reform movements that emerged in the antebellum era. These reforms were based on the desire to make America a civilized, utopian society. The main types of reforms in this era were social reforms, religious reforms, institutional reforms, and abolitionist reforms. The main social reform made was the temperance movement. It was also through local social reforms that a change in thought regarding democratic ideals changed and expanded greatly. Many religious revivals such as the Second Great Awakening adequately expanded the democratic ideals by installing better moral standards in common men. Institutional reforms that expanded democratic ideals ranged from public education, to the removal of corporal punishment, to better asylums for the sick. The two main abolitionist reforms were the abolition of slavery, and the women’s rights movement.
Social reforms in the antebellum era were critical to the expansion of democratic ideals: you will read and answer questions about the primary social reform movements of this time period to get a better understanding of the underlying causes of the American Civil War. |
The Age of Reform
During the Expansion Era, many Americans came to believe that social reforms were needed to improve their society.