During the 1830s and 1840s a tremendous amount of religious revival swept throughout America. This period is known as the Second Great Awakening. Much like the First Great Awakening there were multiple ministers and preachers who spoke on the horrors of hell. The Second Great Awakening did not have much affect in the South because of the abolitionist movements that went hand and hand with the Awakening. This period was important to the extreme because of its huge involvement with women and being the inspiration behind reform movements during the Age of Reform where a multitude of reform movements were instituted. The grassroots movements were exceedingly successful in achieving their goals when involving women’s rights, abolition, public education, and prison reform through the Seneca Falls convention organized by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the efforts of Theodore Weld and James Birney, the struggles of Horace Mann and Noah Webster, and the endeavors of Dorthea Dix.
Women’s rights were a great part of the grassroots movement of the Age of Reform, partly due to the fact that so many women were involved in the Second Great Awakening. The women were extremely successful in women’s rights reform. Women fought wholeheartedly for women’s property rights. During the Seneca Falls convention women insisted upon enfranchisement by putting forth their “Declaration of Rights Sentiments.” Women would later also became a large part of the abolitionist movement.
Theodore Weld and James Birney were huge supporters for abolition of slavery. Weld and Birney were both a large part of the achievements of the abolitionist movements during the Age of Reform. The difference between these two individuals and other abolitionists was that they were for gradual abolition rather than a radical and far more dangerous route of abolition of slavery. This was the correct path to take because others like John Brown simply lead reckless revolutions and raids killing large quantities of people. Weld and Birney both did much petitioning to Congress to end the abolition of slavery and were enormous civil rights advocates. One of Theodore Weld’s best accomplishments was setting up a school in New Jersey that accepted all people regardless of race or sex.
During the Age of Reform, education was a remarkable issue. Some of the most notable leaders in education reform were Noah Webster and Horace Mann. Noah Webster played a hefty function in education reform. Noah Webster, sometimes called the “Schoolmaster of the Republic,” was able to advance school textbooks. Webster spent 20 years laboring on his commonly know dictionary, Webster’s Dictionary, which was a magnificent step in modernizing the American linguistics. Horace Mann spent a lot of his time vocalizing the necessity of longer school terms, a more extended set of courses, and higher pay for instructors.
Prison reform was a gigantic subject all through the Age of Reform. Dorthea Dix was one most outstanding leaders of prison reform. Dix was able to help make the distinction between the mentally ill and the willfully obstinate. Dorthea Dix also campaigned to people in the Massachusetts legislature. She preached on the horrid treatment of the mentally ill and the atrocious state prison cells were. Her persistence created improved conditions in jail cells greatly contributing to prison reform.
To conclude, the grassroots movements in the Age of Reform were successful in achieving their goals. Women’s rights improvements were made during the Seneca Falls convention. Theodore Weld and James Birney were both contributed to the abolitionist movement through strong advocating for emancipation and civil rights. Education reform was made possible by Noah Webster and Horace Mann through the improvements in textbooks and advocating for an increase in teacher pay and school curriculum. Lastly, due largely to the labors of Dorthea Dix prison reform was made possible by the improvement of jail cell conditions.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
America’s Hunger for Land through Nationalism and War
In the late 1700s and early 1800s the United States was stuck in between the conflicting powers of France and Britain. These two sides were heavily at war with one another and both disliked the idea of American trade with the other one. Both groups had instituted decrees that prevented the United States from trading with other nations. This included the Orders of Council which was put into effect by Britain which essentially prevented any neutral nations from trading with Frances as well as its allies. France responded to this in 1807 with the Milan Decree proclaiming that all ships that obeyed the Orders of Council would be seized by France. This was tremendously devastating to America’s economic system and due to extreme provocation resulted in the War of 1812, giving up all American hope for neutrality. America’s nationalism played a remarkable role in the formulation and application of the United States’ foreign policy in the early nineteenth century economically, politically, and imperialistically through the national unity created with hatred for Britain, the nationalism created by political leaders when declaring war on other nations, and the quests to acquire new land from additional nations.
The American economic structure during the French revolution was in ruin. This would ultimately cause a wave of nationalism. In the eyes of many American’s Britain was responsible for their economic situation. This was because of the numerous American merchant ships being denied trade by Britain to other nations, and the crews of the ships often being seized and impressed into service. Nationalism is often created when a nation has a common enemy, in this case, Britain. Due to the fact that many Americans were infuriated because of the devastating economy Americans united all with a common goal to strike back at Britain. This would lead to the War of 1812 which greatly increased nationalism in America against their common enemy, Britain. American nationalism also helped the economy due to new lands acquired by war with other nations, thereby giving America more farmland.
America also greatly altered politically when it came to foreign policy due to nationalism. It began to greatly increase an individual’s political favor to support war. This was because war united a country together against a common foe. The main foe was Britain in the war of 1812 and later Mexico during the Mexican-American war. Great examples of political leaders using war and nationalism to their advantage are James Monroe and James Polk. Monroe, for instance, based his foreign policy positions on the idea of American hegemony, or that the United States was dominant over the rest of the world, which in turn led to nationalism, all uniting under common belief that Americans were superior to the rest of the world and that they deserved other peoples land. James Polk also received political support during the Mexican-American war, because it once again unified America against a common ally, Mexicans.
Nationalists, over time, have tended to demonstrate imperialistic ideals. In the process of less than 100 years, from 1783-1853 America more than tripled its size. This was based on a nationalistic and imperialistic foreign policy entailing that the United States should unify together to bring the rest of the world under their control. This was also partially based on the idea that the United States had a superior and democratic system and it was obligated to share it with the rest of the world. Nationalists sought to make America’s foreign policy an imperial one. In this nationalists grandly succeeded due to the great expanse of newly acquired territories by the United States.
To conclude, American foreign policy was grandly altered due to nationalist ideals. The United States was significantly changed economically by the increase in nationalism. Politicians also changed their foreign policies because of the advantages of nationalism offered. The United States became extremely imperialistic because of nationalism as well, illustrating how nationalism and imperialism have often gone hand and hand historically. In general, nationalism played a large role in the formulation and function of American foreign policy in the early 1800s.
The American economic structure during the French revolution was in ruin. This would ultimately cause a wave of nationalism. In the eyes of many American’s Britain was responsible for their economic situation. This was because of the numerous American merchant ships being denied trade by Britain to other nations, and the crews of the ships often being seized and impressed into service. Nationalism is often created when a nation has a common enemy, in this case, Britain. Due to the fact that many Americans were infuriated because of the devastating economy Americans united all with a common goal to strike back at Britain. This would lead to the War of 1812 which greatly increased nationalism in America against their common enemy, Britain. American nationalism also helped the economy due to new lands acquired by war with other nations, thereby giving America more farmland.
America also greatly altered politically when it came to foreign policy due to nationalism. It began to greatly increase an individual’s political favor to support war. This was because war united a country together against a common foe. The main foe was Britain in the war of 1812 and later Mexico during the Mexican-American war. Great examples of political leaders using war and nationalism to their advantage are James Monroe and James Polk. Monroe, for instance, based his foreign policy positions on the idea of American hegemony, or that the United States was dominant over the rest of the world, which in turn led to nationalism, all uniting under common belief that Americans were superior to the rest of the world and that they deserved other peoples land. James Polk also received political support during the Mexican-American war, because it once again unified America against a common ally, Mexicans.
Nationalists, over time, have tended to demonstrate imperialistic ideals. In the process of less than 100 years, from 1783-1853 America more than tripled its size. This was based on a nationalistic and imperialistic foreign policy entailing that the United States should unify together to bring the rest of the world under their control. This was also partially based on the idea that the United States had a superior and democratic system and it was obligated to share it with the rest of the world. Nationalists sought to make America’s foreign policy an imperial one. In this nationalists grandly succeeded due to the great expanse of newly acquired territories by the United States.
To conclude, American foreign policy was grandly altered due to nationalist ideals. The United States was significantly changed economically by the increase in nationalism. Politicians also changed their foreign policies because of the advantages of nationalism offered. The United States became extremely imperialistic because of nationalism as well, illustrating how nationalism and imperialism have often gone hand and hand historically. In general, nationalism played a large role in the formulation and function of American foreign policy in the early 1800s.
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