Reform

Movements
1830s- 1840s
Maggie Wisman

Erin Strohmeyer

Kierstyn Tsosie
 Overview

From 1650 to 1800, the Enlightenment spread over all the inhabited earth, spreading the belief of
scientific fact not emotions. Also during this time period, Rationalism became popular and
stated science and logic over feelings and the heart. From 1800 to 1830, the United States was
filled with fervor from the Second Great Awakening and Romanticism. In 1828, Andrew
Jackson was elected president and the “Era of the Common Man” began. These events helped
lead to the Reform Movements of the 1830’s and 1840’s.
 The Enlightenment- created a huge focus on science and discovery of humankind’s place
trough proof and reason, not religion
 Rationalism- was very similar to the Enlightenment and took away the importance of
religion in the American’s lives
 The Second Great Awakening- a religious revival, stated the grace of God was achieved
through faith and good works, also heart over head
 Romanticism- belief in the inherent goodness and ability of man
 The “Era of the Common Man”- gave power to the common man to run for office and all
white men to vote
The Enlightenment and Rationalism did not directly led to the Reform Movements, but
instead to the Second Great Awakening because people started realizing they were straying too
far away from God and were soon drawn back in. The Second Great Awakening, Romanticism,
and the Era of the Common Man led to the Reform Movements because they created a society in
which reform movements would be able to flourish in. The Reform Movements were mostly
influenced by the desire of Americans to gain God’s glory. So, they increased their good works
and faith, as shown in the deeds they did for their own and others benefit.
There were many reforms during the 1830’s to the 1840’s. The movements were Abolition,
Utopian Societies, Women’s Rights, Temperance, and movements for public asylums, prisons,
and education.

Abolition
 Important People
o William Lloyd Garrison- wrote The Liberator to speak for abolition, called for
immediate freedom without compensation
o Frederick Douglass- runaway and freed slave, eloquent speaker who claimed
slavery was a sin
o Sojourner Truth- runaway and freed slave, journeyed around preaching for
abolition
 Organizations
o The American Antislavery Society- wanted to take direct actions instead of
waiting for a political resolution, also advocated to break from slave states
o Liberty Party- less radical and wanted to end slavery through political and legal
means
o Underground Railroad- secret organization to help fleeing slaves escape the south
to free territory
Utopian Societies
 Brook Farm, Massachusetts
o Founded by George Ripley in 1841 and based on Transcendentalist ideas
 o Goal was to all equally share the work so they could equally share the leisure
 Shakers
o Religious communal movement
o Forbid marriage and no private property
 New Harmony, Indiana
o Non-religious communal society
o Founded by Robert Owen
o Flourished by selling silver
 The Church of Latter-day Saints
o Founded by Joseph Smith
o Settled in Utah
o Faced discrimination but flourished anyways
Women’s Rights
 People
o Angelina and Sarah Grimke- objected male opposition to their antislavery work
o Lucretia Mott firmly campaigned after getting barred from an antislavery
convention
o Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony campaigned for women’s right to
vote, property rights, and legal rights
 The Seneca Falls Convention
o First women’s rights convention in U.S. history
o Issued the “Declaration of Sentiments”
o “All men and women created equal”
Temperance
 Religious figures started preaching against it
 Soon became part of politics when politicians tried to limit crime and poverty related to
drinking
 Maine actually did ban the sale and consumption of alcohol
 Lost steam in Civil War
 Mary Hunt- head of Women’s Christian Temperance Movement and fought strongly for
the affect of alcohol on voters
 Susan B. Anthony fought widely for the banning of alcohol
Asylums
 Dorothea Dix- led the movement, successfully won legislation in Massachusetts to
provide aid to the insane
 Wanted to “cure” antisocial behaviors
 Help the mentally ill in prisons
 Mental treatment at state expense
Prisons
 Structure and discipline would bring moral reform
 Some places rules were too strict and led to an increase in suicide rates
 Though strict, tried to increase moral states
Public Education
 Horace Mann-led the movement, wanted to help unruly children become civilized, and
also achieved public education
  Increase in voting led to a belief in educated electorate
 Laborers and employers agreed on the benefits of an educated workforce
 Horace Mann advocated tax-supported schools
Abolition did not officially end until the Civil War, and even after that African Americans
faced mass discrimination. Although this is true, abolition led to many important events such as
the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, Harpers Ferry, and provoked sectionalism and Southern
secession. There were also other events abolition influenced.
 Fugitive Slave Law of 1850-required Northerners to return runaway slaves back to
the south, though mostly ignored by all
 Harpers Ferry- led by John Brown to seize the arsenal and convince black slaves to
revolt
 Sectionalism- the North’s and South’s regard towards their own interests over the
interests of the other sections
 Bleeding Kansas- between anti-slavery Free Staters and boarder ruffians, over
whether Kansas would enter as a free or slave state
Although some of these reforms did not change during their time, they had a huge impact on
events to come. Some of these reforms were Abolition, Women’s rights, and public education.
 Vocabulary

Education
Horace Mann- Horace Mann was one of the greatest educational reformers in the 1830’s and
1840’s. He was the first secretary of the Massachusetts Board of Education and believed that the
only way to protect democracy was to create an educational system that was associated to a free
political system.
Public Educational System- Public Education in the 1830’s and 1840’s had expanded due to
laws passed. Colleges were being established throughout the country as well as elementary
schools. The first state to receive a public educational system was Massachusetts in 1830.

Medical Science
Phrenology- Phrenology is a science of studying an individual’s character and intelligence due
to skull size. This includes sizes of bumps and sections of the brain. It was believed to improved
society by measuring an individual’s status in life.
Anesthetic- Developed by Dr. William Morton, anesthetic was created for trying to find a less
painful method to do oral surgery.
Small Pox Vaccination- the vaccination was developed by Edward Jenner and was considered
the greatest medical achievement in the 19th century.
Oliver Wendell Holmes – Holmes led to the discovery of the germ theory in 1843, where he
studied large cases of puerperal fever and that the disease was air borne.

Literature
Herman Melville- One of many famous writers during the reform movements. His most famous
novel written is Moby Dick in 1851.
Edgar Allen Poe- Another writer during the reform era, but his profession was more poetic. Poe
is known for his poem, “The Raven”, published in 1845. Poe’s style of writing reflects a deeper
world emotionally and spiritually.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow- an American poet during the reform era who developed the
first form of romanticism.
James Fennimore Cooper- Romantic author, most famous for his novels The Last of the
Mohicans and the Leather stocking Tales.
Walt Whitman-Another great writer during the Reform Era, Whitman wrote “Leaves of Grass”
in 1855 which were based on liberation of the individual and no restrictions in democracy. Due
to his orientation, Whitman broke out of traditional perspective and expressed his inner self
through his poems.
Mark Twain- Mark Twain’s real name was Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Twain was a realist
writer who wrote “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and became the most powerful voice in
realistic writing.

Romanticism/ Transcendentalists
Romanticism- Romanticism is seen in art and literature. Romanticism shows emotions and
demonstrated freedom to characters. In literature, writers used romanticism to characterize their
characters and gave them more human feelings than traditional characters. They also supported
the idea that civilization is dishonest and nature is where spiritual enlightenment can be found.
Nationalism- Nationalism is the belief of devotion to a nation. During the reform era,
nationalism was in the form of Transcendentalism, which is the belief in the beauty of nature as
the key to enlightenment. Nationalism was affected by the newly discovered parts of America.
Hudson River School- The Hudson River School was a group of men, Frederic Church, Thomas
Cole, Thomas Doughty and Asher Durand, who painted many scenic paintings of the Hudson
Valley. They believed nature was a source of wisdom and spiritual fulfillment. The painters later
travelled to other parts of the country where they painted the Yosemite Valley, Yellowstone, and
other scenic sites.
Henry David Thoreau- Thoreau was an important Transcendentalist writer during the reform
era. He wrote “Walden” when he lived in a cabin to get away from society.
Transcendentalists – Transcendentalists believed in the theory that the individual rested on the
differences of “reason” and “understanding”. They used intelligence to understand reality and to
examine the process of reason.
Ralph Waldo Emerson- Emerson was a transcendentalist and one of the more famous writers of
the time. He wrote “Self- Reliance” in 1841. He is also famous for his book of essays, “Nature”.
Nathaniel Hawthorne- One of the first writers to introduce disillusionment and wrote The
Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables. Hawthorne had stayed in Brook Farm and wrote
in the “Glithedale Romance” about how disastrous Brook Farm had turned out to be.

Women’s Rights Movement

Convention of Seneca Falls- Led by Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Susan B.
Anthony in 1848, the Convention of Seneca Falls was held to discuss women’s rights and drafted
the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions.
Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions – this document stated that “all men and women
are created equal” and women deserve no less than a man with the same inalienable rights. The
most significant statement in the declaration was for the right to vote, but it was later rejected.
Elizabeth Cady Stanton- Stanton was a women’s suffrage reform leader during the women’s
rights movements in the 1830’s and 1840’s. She was also a part of the organization of the Seneca
Falls Convention and the drafting of the Declaration of Sentiments and Rights.
Susan B. Anthony – Probably one of the most notable women’s suffrage movement leaders
during the reform era, as she too participated in the organization of the Convention of Seneca
Falls.

Sarah and Angelina Grimke’- Reform sisters who were active and outspoken abolitionists and
were often targeted by men for speaking up against abolition and women’s suffrage.
Rehabilitation
Rehabilitation- A movement started to create asylums for the mentally ill and programs for
criminals and to treat them more humanely.
Dorothea Dix- She started the movement dedicated to establishing asylums for properly treating
the mentally ill.
Asylum Movements- This movement was to treat and rehabilitate criminals and anyone
considered mentally ill during this time. It began in the 1820’s but was prominent in the reform
era due to the involvement of the reform leader, Dorothea Dix.

Abolition
Abolition- Abolition was to prohibit or end slavery in the states. This was done through many
abolitionists and their attempts to educate the public of the harshness and exaggerated conditions
of slavery.
Fredrick Douglass- Fredrick Douglass was one of the most important African-American
abolitionist leaders during the Reform era. Douglass was born a slave in Maryland and later
escaped to Massachusetts. He spent time in England where he described and lectured about the
outcomes of life as a slave. He returned to the states, paid for his freedom, and later became one
of the most significant abolitionist leaders of his time by demanding not only freedom, but social
and economic equality.
William Lloyd Garrison- a white man who believed in equality for slaves. In 1831, he
published his magazine, The Liberator where he stated that people who opposed slavery should
“take the place of a black man”. Garrison’s philosophy was to not describe the horrific pictures
of slavery but problems is had caused to both white and black society and demand immediate
emancipation of slaves, without compromise.
The Liberator – A weekly newspaper crafted by Garrison, it stated Garrison’s standpoint on
slavery and ideas for reform. The newspaper stood for the abolishment of slavery and equal
rights for African Americans. The newspaper also caused controversy in the southern states.
Sojourner Truth – Sojourner Truth was considered a more peaceful abolitionist. She was a
freed slave that spent time in a cult in New York and later became a powerful spokeswoman
against slavery.
Harriet Beecher Stowe- Stowe was a Northern abolitionist and the author that wrote “Uncle
Tom’s Cabin”. Stowe had never been to the South, but somehow depicted slavery well.
“Uncle Tom’s Cabin” – Written by Harriet Beecher Stowe in 1851-1852, the book received
much controversy due to the graphic imagery of slavery. The book sold nearly 300,000 copies in
a year. The main readers of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” were wealthy women in the north. Southerners
viewed the book as an exaggeration while Northerners were stunned at the apparent slavery
occurring in their country. Books like “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” led to a division between Northern
and Southern states.
American Antislavery Society- In response to Garrison’s “Liberator”, the American
Antislavery Society was founded in 1833. The group was founded by Garrison and had nearly
250,000 members. The society believed slavery was a sin and that all races were equal.
Underground Railroad- The Underground Railroad was an escape route for slaves led by
Harriet Tubman from Maryland into the Northern States.

Utopian Communities
Brook Farm- first vision of a Utopian society and was in Massachusetts in 1841. Brook Farm
was established by George Ripley, a transcendentalist, but the society failed. It failed due to the
tension between the perspective of individual freedom and demands for a community in 1847.
One resident in Brook Farm was Nathaniel Hawthorne.
New Harmony- New Harmony was established in 1825 by Robert Owen, but also failed early
on in its activity. New Harmony gave Americans ideas of creating a Utopian society.
Charles Fourier- a French philosopher who believed in socialist communities and gave the idea
to many Americans.
Robert Owen- Robert Owen founded New Harmony in 1825. However, his community failed
economically soon after beginning, leaving a legacy for Americans to follow decades later.
Oneida- Established in 1848 by John Humphrey Noyes, the utopian community believed
“marriages” to everyone within. The community also depicted untraditional gender roles of
women, similar to Shaker belief.
John Humphrey Noyes- John Humphrey Noyes had established the Utopian community of
Oneida. He claimed everyone was married to one another and that all things in the community
were communal.
Shakers- Shakers believed in sexual equality and the ideology of God being genderless. The
Shaker society was a society dominated by females; its first leader was Mother Ann Lee.
Mother Lucy Wright- She was a Shaker who had succeeds Mother Ann Lee in the Shaker
society.
Mother Ann Lee- Mother Ann Lee was the leader of the Shaker society, a utopian community
focused on the incorporating of religion into everyday life, and was later succeeded by Mother
Lucy Wright.

Religious key events/ figures

Revivalism- Revivalism was the sudden revival of religious activity in the 1830’s and 1840’s
which led to the movement of the Second Great Awakening.
Second Great Awakening- The Second Great Awakening occurred during the 1820’s and
became more powerful for reform movements during the 1830’s and 1840’s. The Second Great
Awakening a period of acts of kindness and benevolence. This religious awakening had inspired
reform movements of women’s suffrage, rehabilitation, and abolition.
Unitarians- People who believes God is only one being, and rejecting the doctrine of the trinity,
the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.
Charles Grandison Finney- An evangelistic Presbyterian minister who was the most influential
revival leader in the 1820’s and 1830’s. He believed that every person was able to experience
spiritual rebirth and achieve salvation.
Mormons- A religious group that followed Joseph Smith to find a better life, “new Jerusalem”.
Later they peacefully settled in Utah under Brigham Young.
Joseph Smith- Believed that a translation of tablets were given to him by God. Joseph Smith
established the Church of the Latter-Day Saints. He led the Mormons on a spiritual journey
across America until their group had reached Illinois. Joseph Smith was later captured and shot
in Colorado during an angered uprising by mobs.
Brigham Young- He was the successor of Joseph Smith who travelled across the American
desert with 1,200 people all the way to Utah. Young was believed to be a god to the newly
established Mormon.
“New Jerusalem” – This was attempted to establish a better life for Mormons. It was believed
to be a religious sanctuary, but was never founded due to other communities uprising against the
Mormons.
Polygamy- Polygamy is the belief of having more than one wife. This belief existed in Mormon
society and was shunned by Christian society, where their belief was to have only one man and
one women married.

Temperance
Temperance- The Temperance movement was a movement against liquor because drunkenness
and alcoholism increased. Later, the temperance movement became associated with anti-
Catholic immigrants. Americans believed that Catholic Immigrants, such as the Irish, drank too
much and were disturbing American society.
 Sample Essays

“Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals.”

Assess the validity of this statement with specific reference to the years 1825-1850.

During the presidency of Andrew Jackson and through the years leading up to the Civil
War, many Americans began to attempt to create change in their society. Greatly influences by
the “Era of the Common Man” and the Second Great Awakening, Antebellum America was a
time of change in all areas of society. Although some of the reform movements that began from
1825 to 1850, like the education, rehabilitation, and abolition movements, sought to expand upon
the countries democratic ideals, others, such as the temperance and utopian movements, were
actually attempts to limit the rights of citizens and the role of the government.

Several reform movements that developed in the Antebellum Period were meant to
expand the democratic ideals of equality and tolerance. The education reform, led by Horace
Mann, was an attempt to create public education available to all children so they would have the
same chance at knowledge and success. Mann also worked for reformed teacher training
programs and secondary education for women to increase the level and quality of education
available to women. Because of this movement, numerous schools were started in the North, as
well as several women’s colleges. However, public education was not yet available to all as there
were only a few schools opened in the South and West of the United States. Rehabilitation
reform, a movement lead by Dorothea Dix, fought for the improved treatment and care for the
mentally handicapped in asylums and for better rehabilitation programs for those who spent time
in the federal penitentiaries. Followers of Dix fought for more humane action in the care for the
mentally disabled and because of their movements, new and improves asylums were built across
the country that allowed for better treatment of the patients. Prisons and rehabilitation programs
were also forms to help convicts transition back into society because of the rehabilitation
movement. Finally, the fight for abolition fought to expand the American ideal of equality to
African Americans. This movement, one of the most widely supported of the era, had many
influential leaders such as William Garrison, editor of the abolition paper ‘The Liberator’ and
Fredrick Douglass. These men, among others lead a passionate fight for the immediate and
unconditional emancipation of all slaves in the United States and the banning of slavery in the
new American territories. There were others who favored less drastic reform on the issue of
slavery but the subject was debated so heavily that a gag rule was placed on Congress and the
movement failed to accomplish many of its key goals. Though abolition was not achieves, the
issue of slavery and the views presented by the abolition movement would stay prominent
through the Civil War. Thus, many of the reform movements that gained popularity from 1825 to
1850 championed the idea of spreading America’s democratic principles.
 On the other hand, the temperance movement and the creation of utopian societies were
actually attempts to limit the rights of people and decrease the influence of the democratic
government of the nation. The temperance movement, led and supported mostly by women,
sought to reduce alcohol consumption in America and reduce the influence of Irish Catholics,
whom they believed caused the alcohol epidemic. In many ways this movement was linked to the
extreme nativism that emerged during the time and the supporters of the temperance movement
attempted to reduce the rights of Irish Catholic immigrants and citizens by trying to ban them
from holding public offices, among other things. Only a hand full of states banned alcohol for a
short time and little was done to reduce the rights of the Irish minority so the movement failed to
achieve its main goals and fell apart. The utopian societies that emerged in this period all
attempted to create their own, non-democratic societies and governments, obviously proving
they did not support the existing ideals of the nation. Towns life Brook Farm and New Harmony
and Oneida followed religious and transcendentalist notions and embraced the idea of communal
living, each with its own unique ideology that did not follow any conventional guidelines. New
religions, like the Shakers and Mormonism, also emerged and challenged the preexisting ideas of
America. Therefore, these reform movements did not promote of expand on any of the existing
democratic ideals of the nation from the period of 1825 to 1850.
 In what ways did the Second Great Awakening in the North influence TWO of the
following:

 Abolition
 Temperance
 The cult of Domesticity
 Utopian communities

In the early 1800’s, the United States was hit with a movement called Rationalism.
Rationalism stood for thought and science over emotions. Although this movement was strong, it
was soon combated by the Second Great Awakening. The Second Great Awakening’s main point
was that heart of logic and the grace of God was attained through faith and good works. This
idea of good works greatly affected American society and, in the 1830’s and 1840’s, led to the
Reform Movements, such as Abolition and the Utopian Societies.
Abolition was greatly influenced by the Second Great Awakening by people’s desire to
do good works. Even before this time people were starting to consider the idea of colonization,
sending Africans back to Africa. This early movement quickly ended but it was the start of a
long struggle. William Lloyd Garrison quickly started an intense attack on slavery through the
use of his newspaper The Liberator. Garrison called for immediate freedom without
compensation. A run away and freed slave, Frederick Douglass, also took on the attack for
abolition. He was an eloquent speaker and claimed that slavery was evil and should be stopped.
The abolition movement soon became politically entwined. In 1838, congress passed the Gag
Rule, limiting American’s ability to speak out on slavery. During this same year congress
enacted the Fugitive Slave Law which required Northerners to return runaway slaves to the
South. Most Northerners ignored this rule and created t, with the help of Harriet Tubman, the
Underground Railroad. Abolition grew in strength due to the American mindset of good works
from the Second Great Awakening.
Another reform movement during the 1830’s and 40’s was the desire for a perfect, or an
utopia. These radicals wanted utopians to escape the grunginess and filth of everyday American
life and to focus on their relationship with God. Although the societies had a main goal, they
varied greatly from place to place. Joseph Smith founded the Church of Latter-day Saints, also
called Mormons. They moved to Utah and thrived there in their own communities. The Mormon
communities faced some discrimination but continued to flourish. The most popular utopian
society was Brooke farm, founded by George Riley. It was mostly focused on self-realization.
All members equally shared the work load so they could equally share the leisure, which was the
key to self-realization. Another utopian society was New Harmony, founded by Robert Owen.
He believed everyone was equal and this idea soon led to other projects like it. The Utopian
Movement was greatly influenced by the idea of a perfect place to have good works so they
could gain God’s grace.
The Abolition and Utopian Movements strived for good works and a perfect community.
Although the Utopians were not successful and abolition did not come till years later, they were
important in their time for changes in the future. The Second Great Awakening greatly impacted
these movements through changing society and giving people the desire to become right with
God.
 The Jacksonian Period (1824- 1848) has been celebrated as the era of the “common
man”. To what extent did the period live up to this characterization? Consider TWO of the
following in your response.

 Economic development
 Politics
 Reform movements

The Jacksonian Period between 1824 to 1848 was known as the era of the “common
man”. Due to the election of Andrew Jackson, the Jacksonian Period came to be named after him
because was a common man. The period was affected politically through the spoils system and
Corrupt Bargain, economically through rapid industrialization; and socially through reform
movements. Although politics played a significant role of establishing the era of the “common
man”, economic development and reform movements in the 1830’s and 1840’s had more of an
impact of characterizing the Jacksonian Period.

Economic development played a significant role during the Jacksonian Period. It began
with the American System, established by Henry Clay. The American system instituted large
transportation systems, such as canals and roads, across the nation so isolated rural areas were
able to sell their produce. For example, due to the completion of the Erie Canal in 1823, western
rural areas were connected to the northeast markets. The Erie Canal established economic growth
and success to farmers. Industrialization also held a significant role in the characterization of the
era. Since the immediate boom in textile industries was available in the cities, families in the
rural era believed that abundant job opportunities would be available to them, so they migrated to
the industrialized cities. The Lowell system, for instance, hired young women to work in their
factory in the New England region to preform domestic labor. The women lived in boarding
houses and sent their earnings to their families in the agrarian areas in the country. The Lowell
system was one of the first institutions that hired women to do labor. Thus, economic
development led to the prosperity of “common men” through industrialization and the American
system.

The reform movement in the 1830’s and 1840’s led to ideas of gender equality and
abolition. The women’s rights movement played a major role during the reform movement era
due to the women’s demand for sexual equality. Reform leaders included Elizabeth Cady Stanton
and Harriet Beecher Stow, led the Convention at Seneca Falls in 1848. At the convention, the
reformers wrote the “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions” that consisted of resolutions for
gender equality. The convention at Seneca Falls may not have succeeded, but inspired later
women rights reformers to demand for social, civil, and political equality. Abolition also held a
role in reform movements due to disillusionment. Abolitionists such as Fredrick Douglass,
Sojourner Truth, and William Lloyd Garrison, sought freedom for slaves. Sojourner Truth
followed a more peaceful route on debating for the abolishment of slavery and was more of a
modest reformer, while William Lloyd Garrison was outspoken and blunt about abolition in his
weekly newspaper, The Liberator. Garrison’s effort and success as a white abolitionist was
highly successful. His campaign led to the forming of the American Antislavery Society, which
believed that slavery was a sin. The group had reached out to thousands of other people. Finally,
through Douglass’s lectures abroad and in the United States, he was able to reach out to other
people to abolish slavery. Douglass’ efforts were also successful as he too was able to reach out
to other people than abolitionists. Douglass was able to reach out to Europe and wealthy
Northerners. Both the women’s right’s movement and abolitionism gave a more clear vision of
the identity of the era of the “common man”

To conclude, the Jacksonian Period was characterized by the sudden economic

development and reform movements. Both factors simply demonstrated the common people
were capable of being involved socially and economically into society.
 Multiple Choice

1. The Second Great Awakening was

a. an evangelical religious revival in the United States during the first third of the nineteenth
century
b. an evangelical religious revival in the colonies in the 1740’s
c. a revival of interest in the ideas of the Enlightenment in America during the nineteenth century
d. a Puritan reform movement of the early 1800’s
e. a revival of fundamentalist Protestantism in America during the early twentieth century

2. Which of the following factors were important influences in the reform movements that swept
through the northern society prior to 1860?

I. evangelical Protestantism
II. Darwinism
III. middle class concerns about the behavior and values of the poor
IV. Fears of the power of big business corporations
V. the increasing assertiveness of middle class women

a. I,II, and III only

b. I, III, and IV only
c. I and III only
d. I, II, III, and V only
e. I, III, and V only

3. All of the following were important social reformers in antebellum American EXCEPT
a. Horace Mann
b. Carrie A. Nation
c. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
d. Dorothea Dix
e. William Lloyd Garrison

4. Transcendentalism was
a. a mystical counterculture trend in the 1960’s
b. a scientific movement in the mid-nineteenth century
c. a popular evangelical religious crusade of the mid-nineteenth century
d. an eighteenth century reaction to orthodox Puritanism
e. a religious and philosophical movement of the mid- nineteenth century

5. All of the following were expressions of the Romantic movement in the mid-nineteenth
century America EXCEPT
a. Central Park in New York City
b. Henry David Thoreau’s Walden
c. Edgar Allen Poe’s short stories
d. Stephen Crane’s The Red Badge of Courage
e. Herman Melville’s Moby Dick

6. Which of the following social reform crusades was most closely related to women’s rights
movement of the late 1840’s and 1850’s?
a. temperance
b. female education
c. moral purity
d. reformation of prisons
e. abolitionism

7. The most active people in the religious revivals of the mid-nineteenth century were

a. Roman Catholics
b. Jews
C. mainstream Protestants
d. Quakers
e. Evangelical Christians

8. Which of the following authors is correctly paired with the work that he wrote?
a. Herman Melville: the Sketch Book
b. James Fennimore Cooper: Conspiracy of Pontiac
c. Nathaniel Hawthorne: the Scarlet Letter
d. Washington Irving: “ The Raven”
e. Edgar Allen Poe: The House of the Seven Gables

9. Harriet Beecher Stowe wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a novel about slavery in response to the
A. Nat Turner Insurrection (1831) in Southampton County, Virginia
b. trial and execution of John Brown
c. passage of the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850
d. admission of Missouri into the Union as a slave state
e. annexation of Texas

10. At the Seneca Falls women’s rights convention organized by Lucia Mott and Elizabeth Cady
Stanton in 1848, the delegates
a. organized a political party to nominate candidates for public office
b. unanimously endorsed the ratification of an amendment to the Constitution giving women the
right to vote in national elections
c. accepted the prevailing notion that women were endowed with weaker intellectual abilities
than men
d. issued the pamphlet Treatise on Domestic Economy, instructing women on how to make their
homes more efficient and more moral
e. declared that “all men and women are created equal” and that “the history of mankind is a
history of repeated injuries and usurpations on the part of man toward woman…”

11. William Lloyd Garrison, on his publication The Liberator, was the outspoken in calling for

A. the gradual and compensated emancipation of slaves

b. colonization of slaves to some place outside the boundaries of the United States
c. repeal of the Congressional “gag rule”
d. immediate and uncompensated emancipation of slaves
e. the strict maintenance of the constitutional doctrine of slaves rights

12. Which of the following best describes the attitudes of Southern Whites towards slavery?

a. Slavery was a necessary evil.

b. Slavery should immediately be abolished.
c. Slavery was a benefit to both Whites and Blacks.
d. States should gradually be phased out and the freed slaves colonized to some other place
outside the United States.
e. Slavery was a national sin.

13. The Congressional “gag rule” stipulated that

a. No law could be passed prohibiting slavery in the territories.

b. No member of Congress could make statements or speeches outside of congress pertaining
to slavery.
c. No antislavery materials could be sent through the mail to addresses in Southern states.
d. No antislavery petitions would be formally received by Congress.
e. No bills pertaining to slavery would be considered.

14. In its decision in the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford, the Supreme Court held that

a. Separate facilities for different races were inherently unequal and therefore unconstitutional.
b. No black slave could be a citizen of the United States.
c. Separate but equal facilities for different races were unconstitutional.
d. Affirmative action programs were acceptable only when it could be proven that specific
previous cases of discrimination had occurred within the institution of business in question.
e. Imposition of a literacy test imposed an unconstitutional barrier to the right to vote.

15. In the Nullification Controversy, some Southerners took the position that

a. The federal government had the right to nullify state laws that interfered with the right to
hold property of slaves.
b. The federal courts had the right to nullify acts of Congress that restricted the spread of
slavery in the territories.
c. The states had the right to nullify acts of the federal government they deemed to be
unconstitutional.
d. Southern stated had the right to nullify statutes of Northern states interfering with the
recapture of escaped slaves.
e. Congress should refuse to receive any petitions against slavery.

16. The most divisive and controversial aspect of the slavery issue during the first half of the
nineteenth century was

a. The status of slavery in the District of Columbia.

b. The right of abolitionists to send their literature through the U.S. mail.
c. The enforcement of the draconian Fugitive Slave Laws.
d. The status of slavery in the territories.
e. The prohibition of international slave trade.

17. The paternalistic view of slavery held that

a. Slavery was a necessary evil that should be phased out as soon as it was economically
possible.
b. Slavery was a totally unjustifiable abuse of humanity demanding immediate abolition.
c. Slavery was an artifact of a more primitive past that would eventually fade out on its own.
d. Slavery was necessary to protect Blacks from the mistreatment and abuse they would
receive if they were freed.
e. Slavery was necessary to keep Blacks from developing their superior potential and
eventually dominating the whit race.

18. The establishment of penitentiaries during the 1840’s reflected

a. A public desire to completely remove criminals from public view and permanently separate
them from society so women and children should not be offended by having to look at them.
b. A new attitude by the public that criminals were sinners who were beyond redemption;
therefore, they should be forced into isolation to protect society from their depredations.
c. A new attitude that emphasized more intense corporal punishment for criminals rather than
the old religious-based efforts which had emphasized forgiveness.
d. The shortage of space to house criminals during the massive crime waves that surged
through East Coast cities beginning in 1840.
e. A new attitude that looked upon criminals as misguided, in need of help, and penitentiaries
were designed to help misguided souls reform.

19. John Brown’s raids on the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry and his subsequent trial and
execution had the effect of

a. Making a martyr of John Brown and convincing many Southerners that secession from the
Union was the only way they could prevent the increasingly abolitionist North from
interfering with slavery in the South
b. Discrediting the abolitionist movement I the eyes of most people and convincing most
Southerners that the North would not support forceful efforts to end slavery, despite verbal
attacks on slavery by Northern abolitionists.
c. Inciting a series of slave revolts that resulted in the deaths of thousands of Southern slaves,
further enraging both Northern abolitionist and Southern slaveholders
d. Sparking a virtual civil war in the state of Nebraska over the issue of slavery.
e. Exposing a pro-slavery plot to assassinate the leaders of several abolitionist groups and
discrediting the prosecution despite Brown being found guilty.

20. After 1830, which of the following reform movements began to overshadow the others?

a. Antislavery
b. Women’s Rights
c. Temperance
d. Education
e. Prison and penal reform

Answer Key

1. (C) The Second Great Awakening, similar to the First Great Awakening, brought about
the ideas of benevolence and kindness during the nineteenth century.
2. C. The protestant idea that believers must demonstrate the ideal way to live sparked their
desire to cause reform, as did their concern for the welfare of the poor in the community,
believing that good works would get them to heaven.
3. (A) Horace Mann was an educational reformer, but was more involved in the 1820’s to
early 1830’s.
4. (B) Transcendentalism was a scientific movement that was used to try to define
spirituality and religion and see it in a new way.
5. (D) The Red Badge of Courage was written in 1895, a long time passed the Romantic
period.
6. (E) Women’s rights Movement and abolitionism were closely related due to the idea of
equality.
7. (E) Women’s rights Movement and abolitionism were closely related due to the idea of
equality.
8. (C) Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the Scarlet Letter in 1850.
9. (C) The Fugitive Slave Law was enacted and forced the return of runaway slaves back to
their owners. Stowe saw this as an opening to criticize the political system of the south.
10. (E) “all men and women are created equal” is an expert from the Declaration of
Sentiments and Resolutions, that was composed at the Convention at Seneca Falls
11. (D) Garrison was a strong believer in the abolishment of slavery and used his newspaper
to state his opinions and reach out to others.
12. (C) Southerners, for the most part, defended slavery as a positive benefit to society and
even to the slaves because it stopped them from becoming powerful and stifled for a long
time resistance.
13. (D) The congressional “gag rule” held that no antislavery petitions would be formally
received by Congress because Congress did not want to cause a huge controversy over
the matter of slavery, and so tried to ignore it, without success.
14. (B) In the case Dred Scott v. Sanford the Supreme Court held that no black slave could be
a citizen of the United States and the abolition moved faced a devastating blow when
they were making huge improvements.
 15. (C) As the fear of succession grew, the Nullification Controversy grew as Congress tried
to appease everyone and keep the states together.
16. (D) Although many abolitionists wanted to end slavery everywhere, it was mostly crucial
in politics in the status of slavery in the territories.
17. (D) Most Southern slave holders believed that blacks were inferior, mentally weak, and
ignorant, requiring protection from someone more superior. In this view, slaveholders
believed they were benevolent protectors, as if they were parents.
18. (E) With the ideas coming from the Second Great Awakening, many Americans started
seeing the prisoners as normal people that needed to be saved, and so started to make the
penitentiaries better places.
19. (A) John Brown’s raids climaxed the growing hostility between pro-slavery Southerners
and anti-slavery Northerners. He became a martyr in the Northerners’ eyes as he died for
what he believed in but the Southerners became convinced that the Northerners would
not rest till slavery was abolished.
20. (A) Even though the abolition movement did not accomplish many of its goals, it became
such a popular and hotly debated subject in the 1830’s that a gag rule was placed on
Congress to forbid debate.

Questions 1-5 from Multiple Choice Questions in Preparation for AP United States History
Exam: 2nd edition

Questions 6- 19 from AP United States History (REA) 7th edition

Question 20 from American History AP Website