Grassroots Movements in the Age of Reform

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.