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For many reformers reform was almost like a religious conversion, satisfying their spiritual and societal needs. And most of the reformers were of younger age though in some instances they pressed for conservative reforms. Reformers of the nineteenth century were different from their predecessors in the eighteenth century in believing, unlike their predecessors, that the change could be brought about from the bottom up, that it should come form the individual. In contrast to their predecessors, reformers of the nineteenth century were anti-elitist. Therefore, many reformers championed abolitionism, women's rights, temperance, and institutional reforms for the socially disadvantaged: the poor, the insane, the uneducated, and even criminals. Walters does not suggest that all reform movements were liberating. They could be repressive too, as some reformers advocated slavery.
Walters places significant emphasis on Protestant Evangelicalism, which he puts at the heart of social forces which inspired reformers the strongest. But with the...
People began to reject that morality was absolute, develop tolerance for diversity, and champion equality for African-Americans and women.
American Reformers is an important book and contributes greatly to our understanding of antebellum America. It informs us that the reformers are the products of their time. By understanding the reformers of the antebellum America in the context of political, economic, and social changes at the time, we can see other reform movements in U.S. history in a similar light. The book also reminds us that the emergence of people who challenge conventional beliefs and wisdoms are not necessarily a threat to our society. On the contrary, they provide us with a different mirror through which we can see our mistakes and which offer us ways of addressing those mistakes.
The social hierarchy additionally explains the reason why African-American women -- slaves in particular -- were subject to "persistent sexualization" in slave culture (77). Men of both races maintained social power over African-American women, who had little recourse if they were abused physically or sexually (West, 3). African-American men did not have the same sexualization and the very idea of a sexual relationship between a free or slave African-American man
Antebellum America The Continental Setting In 1815, the United States still had most of the characteristics of an underdeveloped of Third World society, although most of the world was in the same condition at that time. Its population was about 8.5 million, about triple that of 1776, but over 95% was still rural and agrarian. As late as 1860, over 80% were overall, but by then industrialization and urbanization were well underway
They are also very active in translating the Qur'an into many other languages, and creating community support including hospitals, and even institutions of higher learning. The Sunnis also have a problem with the Ahmadi belief that Ghulam Ahmad, the founder of the religion, was the prophet that Muhammad said would could back to Earth to lead his people. Ahmad declared himself the prophet, and the Sunnis feel this is another
Women in the Northeast were almost always expected to conform to rigid social norms and gender roles. Early marriage and child rearing were the only acceptable paths a woman could travel. The "mill girls" of Lowell, Massachusetts experienced a far different upbringing than their counterparts in the South or in the Northeast. Sent to factories at a young age, these girls experienced a level of independence that more resembled life
Antebellum Period: Different Perspectives Woman in a White Slaveholding Family in Virginia My name is Matilda Baldwin originally of the Richmond Portmans that being my maiden name. I was born and raised outside of Richmond on my poppy's tobacco plantation. My husband's land is not very far away. I spend most of my summer afternoons with Mama. We sit fanning ourselves sipping mint-iced teas wondering if my baby sister will have a
As a result, these regions became populated with Protestants who rejected the Church of England and the majority religion in Georgia and North Carolina were Baptists, Methodists, and Presbyterians. In New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, there were many Congregationalist Church members but they lived side by side with Anglicans, Catholics, German Protestants, and, in Pennsylvania, with the Quakers (Furlong, Margaret, & Sharkey, 1988). Religious Conflict, Technology, and the Success