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Shaker
The Shakers were the most successful out of the religious groups and had a major impact on the world around them. The group was founded by Mother Ann Lee, who was the daughter of an English blacksmith. By the 1840s the Shaker settlements ranged from Maine all the way to Kentucky and consisted of about 5,000 members. -
The American Colonization Society
The American Colonization Society was founded by white Americans that supported the idea of ending slavery. In 1816 the society was formed and it supplied black Americans with the opportunity to live in settlements and live freely. -
Perfectionism
During the Second Great Awakening perfectionism was the belief that society could be strengthened and had room to make improvements. It was thought that individuals and society were capable of indefinite improvements. -
New Harmony
New Harmony was established with the promise of a “new moral world”. The world would be different from society and the goal was to transform individuals. The establishment promised women rights equal to those of men. The community lasted for only a few years, but its ideas influenced society for years to come. -
Temperance Movement
The temperance movement was a reform campaign that was aimed to lessen or get rid of the use of intoxicating liquor. The movement was criticized by many Americans because they felt it impacted their own freedom and drinking was seen as an important tradition in America, often used at festive celebrations. -
American Anti-Slavery Society
The society was founded in 1833 and the group goal was to bring an immediate end to slavery. Also, the group sought to bring equality for all black Americans. They were known for speaking at rallies and lectures hoping to show Americans that slavery should be outlawed. -
Gag Rule
The gag rule was implemented to suppress abolitionists who were protesting in Washington. With the new rule in place, abolitionists were not able to speak out freely and express their views on slavery. -
Liberty Party
Seceders created the Liberty Party to advocate for the abolitionist movement. Rather than attempting to break off of the U.S, the party’s goal was to elect people of their same interests and beliefs so they could affectively outlaw slavery. -
Communitarianism
Communitarianism was modeled by Robert Owen who was a British Factory owner. In New Lanark, Scotland Robert Owen made a model factory village where he made rules that promoted communitarianism. Some of the rules included strict work discipline with comfortable living conditions and free amenities. -
Brook Farm
In 1841 New England transcendentals created a plan for a society where manual and intellectual labor could take place together. Brook Farm was modeled after ideas based on the French social reformer Charles Fourier. The community planned everything to fine detail and was very structured. -
Utopian Communities
Utopian communities became popular before the time of the civil war. These communities were greatly different from normal society because of the different structures they followed. There were around 100 different communities established, but each community was different. Some communities emphasized work discipline while others emphasized equality for everyone. -
Feminism
Feminism was a movement where women with a common ideology grouped together for the common goal of establishing equal political, economic, cultural, and social rights. Women found themself in similar situations and that is what gave them unity. -
Woman Suffrage
Women's Suffrage became relevant after Seneca Falls. Inequality was a big issue at the time and women were not given basic rights like access to education, employment, and the right to participate in government. “Equal rights,” was the saying for the movement, and became significant in the movement. -
Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Uncle Tom’s Cabin was considered the most effective anti-slavery writing for the entire period. The novel was written by Harriet Beecher Stowe and at the time of relevancy, the novel sold over 1 million copies. The novel was effective because of how it portrayed the slaves. The slaves in the novel were seen as below the owners and at their service. -
Common School
Schools became common before the start of the civil war. A common school would be an institution that was paid for by taxes the citizens paid. Before common schooling children had to get their education from private schools or at home, but that left some children with no access to education. So with the addition of common schools, it allowed all children in the U.S. to have access to free education. -