Chapters 11 & 12 DBQ
From 1825-1850, the American people attempted to expand Democratic ideals by promoting humanist political and social theories and efforts to reform society as a whole. However, both the failure and exclusivity of these reforms reflected how the expansion of Democratic ideals to be invalid. The nineteenth century was a period of great growth and reform. As the nation grew economically and influentially, Americans sought to adapt through self-improvement, as seen through the Second Great Awakening, and the popularity of transcendentalism. An emphasis was placed on the liberation from the confines of intellect imposed by society known as “understanding.” This served as the basis of reforms in art, religion, and society which …show more content…
Emerging evangelical groups also aimed to better society through increased temperance laws. For example, the Brook Farm Constitution of 1841 served the purpose of discovering individuals own potential through communal relations with one another and nature. Thus combining elements of communism, romanticism, and humanism (Doc. F). In another effort to evoke change, temperance societies put out propaganda to warn against alcohol abuse, as shown by “The Drunkards Progress. From The First Glass To The Grave” (Doc. H). Other evidence to support this is the Supreme Court case Prigg v. Pennsylvania, which resulted in the passage of “personal liberty” laws in several northern states. These laws forbade state officials to assist in the capture and return of runaway …show more content…
An example of this is the feminist movement, which primarily sought to gain rights for white women, completely disregarding their African-American “sisters” as depicted in the image by Patrick Reason. (Doc C) Parallels were drawn between the plight of women and the plight of slaves by Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott during the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, but just as parallel lines do not cross, the inclusion of the rights of women who were also slaves did not cross between the abolitionist and feminist movements. Similarly, immigrants were not included in reform movements. Even though a surge of primarily Irish and German immigrants swelled the labor ranks of industrial factories in the Northeast, they were referred to as “imminent dangers” and some, such as Samuel F.B. Morse, called for changes in the Naturalization Law. (Doc D) Political parties and associations were established in opposition to immigrants and their rights including the Native American Association (1837), the Native American Party (1845) and the Supreme Order of the Star-Spangled Banner (1850), the latter of which is more commonly known as the “know-nothings.” Although, great reform was very difficult to accomplish also due to those who opposed it,