-
Shakers
The Shakers were founded in the late 18th century by Mother Ann Lee. The shakers were one of the most successful religious communities. Their settlements stretched from Maine to Kentucky, with more than 5000 members. The shakers believed that Men and Women were equal. They didn't have traditional family lives as men lived separately from women to solidify, "virigin purity". -
Communitarianism
Communitarianism emphasizes the connection between the individual person and the community. Robert Owen of the New Harmony colony, emphasized this as he wanted his community to get the value of their labor in the factories, -
New Harmony
Robert Owen promoted communitarianism, as he wanted workers to receive the full value of their labor and feel connected with the community. Owen purchased the Harmony community and renamed it, "New Harmony", where he could implement his many of his ideals such as reforms for the labor movement and women's rights, as well as an improvement in education of children. New Harmony was a utopian community, just like the Shakers and the Oneida. -
The Temperance Movement
The American Temperance Society set its goal to help alcoholics. The society had claimed by the 1830s to have persuaded many Americans to stop using liquor. This movement stimulated arguments around the fact that drinking isn't a sin. Many people saw drinking as a way to relax, which contradicted what the Temperance movement was promoting. -
David Walker
David Walker brought about a new spirit of the abolitionism of slavery with his appeal, "An Appeal to the Coloured Citizens of the World". The appeal motivated African Americans to fight for abolition, with force if necessary using the Bible and the Declaration of Independence as support. David Walker warned white people that the nation would face "divine punishment" if "sin" continued to be prevalent within society. -
Perfectionism
The Temperance movement was based upon the concept of perfectionism. Perfectionism is the idea that individuals and society are capable of improvement. This thinking was brought out by the temperance movement, which was a movement to reduce drinking among society, as it was considered a sin to many. -
American Anti- Slavery Society- founded
Antislavery leaders took advantage of the rapid development of print technology and literacy due to the common school education to spread their message. Common Schools are tax driven state school systems open to all children. Abolitionists used pamphlets, newspapers, and novels to get peoples attention of the idea of abolitionism. The formation of the American Anti-Slavery Society brought many people to advocate for abolition. This society had people dedicated to change the view of slavery. -
Moral Suasion
Many southerners feared that abolitionists invented to spark rebellion. Many anti-slave supporters were pacifists and were for using the strategy called Moral suasion to convince slaveholders to stop. Moral suasion was the strategy of convincing slaveholders of the sinfulness of their ways, and the north of how stubborn and ignorant they were on slavery. Moral suasion was a more peaceful way of convincing slavery supporters as it didn't involve force. -
Dorothea Dix
Women gained experience to fight for abolition of slavery, through women suffrage movements,(women's right to vote), fighting in public lectures, and more. For example Dorothea Dix was the leading advocate for more humane up keep of insane people, and succeeded as more hospitals were built to help the mentally ill. All of this led up to the creation of the Female Moral Reform Society. This society sought to promote feminism and became very popular in American communities by 1840. -
Gag Rule
In 1836, when abolitionist began to come to Washington D.C (capital of the United States) with petitions for emancipation , the house of representatives adopted the gag rule. The gag rule prohibited the discussions of antislavery, which raised tensions with many people. The gag rule was put in place until 1844 as the capital of the United States was flooded with an overwhelming amount of petitions for abolition. -
Elijah P. Lovejoy
Abolitionism cause violence from northerners who felt the movement would disrupt the union. led by, "gentlemen of property and standing", (merchants with close ties to the south) mobs destroyed abolitionist meetings. In 1837 an antislavery Elijah P. Lovejoy was killed by a mob in Alton, Illinois while defending his press, as he was an antislavery supporter. He believed that the system of black Americans in slavery was an evil thing. -
Common Schools
The establishment of common schools were very significant. Common schools were a tax driven state school systems offered to all children. Horace Mann, an education reformer, wanted all students no matter what class to come and learn together. He wanted to bring society together with common schools, and although controversial common schools reached out to many. Common schools were seen to discipline students and to bring society together if needed in Mann's vision. -
Liberty Party
The fear of some abolitionists of Garrison's views on women's rights, caused the Liberty Party to form. The party was an early advocate of the abolitionist cause and it broke away from the American Anti-Slavery Society to advocate for the view for anti slavery. James G. Birney was nominated as candidate fore president of the Liberty Party and received 7,000 votes. -
Brook Farm
New England Transcendentalists established Brook Farm where they wanted manual and intellectual labor to occur together. The brook farm was designed on the ideas of the French social reformer Charles's Fourier, who envisioned proper working arrangements with private property. The brook farm was seen as an individual university it attracted writers, teachers, and ministers, while having music, dancing, and teachings. -
Woman suffrage
Seneca falls marked the start for woman suffrage. Women suffrage is the right for women to vote. The Seneca falls , which was a woman's rights convention was about the the ability for women to vote, as well as other ideologies such as the ability for women to have a proper education and to be employed. Overall equal rights with men became the main claim for woman to be totally free. -
Uncle Toms Cabin
Harriet Beecher Stowe's novel, "Uncle Tom's Cabin", was an effective piece of antislavery literature that was an inspiration to many. The novel convinced thousands of northerners of the evil of slavery as the book accounts details of the horrible lives that slaves live through bondage. -
Summary
The most significant event in my opinion is in 1833 when the American Anti- Slave society was founded. The reason why this is so is because during the time between 1820-1840 one of the key issues in American Society was slavery. The Anti-Slave Society acted as a turning point in this time period as this society led to the direct abolition of slavery. The society used new inventions such as newspapers to get the point to many people, showing us that the simple Newspaper had an impact in history.