During the Gettysburg address, Abraham Lincoln stated, “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This quote embodies the lasting impact of Antebellum Reform, and its demonstration of American freedom. This freedom was leveraged to create changes that aided in the betterment of our nation. The changes made within Antebellum Reform can still be felt to this day, and that leaves us to wonder: What caused these movements to occur when they did? Antebellum Reform refers to the period after the War of 1812 and before the civil war. During this period the United States was in a state of flux, the area of the United States jumped from about 1.7 to 2.9 million square miles (p. 4). The increase
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Reformers viewed supporting these causes in a similar manner to that of a job. An example of how taxing even being associated with one of these many causes could be is William Lloyd Garrison, who after being a leading member of the Abolitionist movement for nearly 35 years left the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1865, five years before the organization dissolved (p. 101). He left not because he no longer believed in the movement, but because he had grown tired of the work required. He illustrates how being an active participant in reform during this time could wear upon …show more content…
Firstly, it exemplified the norm in how many temperance movements came to be. It began “in the late eighteenth century, primarily from religious groups such as the Quakers and, especially, the Methodists” in the form of local protests (p.127). However, early reformists were not unified in their view of alcohol. Most only view hard liquor as a problem, others only took issue with intoxication, and a few opposed drinking entirely. In 1813 the first two organizations arose that sought to unify the temperance movement. Both were founded primarily by religious people, and classified the temperate lifestyle as “godly” (p. 128). By the mid-1820s Lyman Beecher began to build a following to create a temperance organization based upon his beliefs. He was not a fan of the ambiguity of the temperance movement as it was, and sought to “cut away any happy middle ground” in an effort to create a “national organization to provide central direction (p.129).” These beliefs resulted in the formation of the American Temperance Society in 1826. Like the organizations before it the American Temperance Society was closely tied to religion. However, unlike previous movements, it was tied to Evangelical Protestantism. The movement churches to further the cause and “by 1834 there were estimates that five thousand state and local societies that promoted the cause (p. 130).” However, similarly to
Reformers viewed supporting these causes in a similar manner to that of a job. An example of how taxing even being associated with one of these many causes could be is William Lloyd Garrison, who after being a leading member of the Abolitionist movement for nearly 35 years left the American Anti-Slavery Society in 1865, five years before the organization dissolved (p. 101). He left not because he no longer believed in the movement, but because he had grown tired of the work required. He illustrates how being an active participant in reform during this time could wear upon …show more content…
Firstly, it exemplified the norm in how many temperance movements came to be. It began “in the late eighteenth century, primarily from religious groups such as the Quakers and, especially, the Methodists” in the form of local protests (p.127). However, early reformists were not unified in their view of alcohol. Most only view hard liquor as a problem, others only took issue with intoxication, and a few opposed drinking entirely. In 1813 the first two organizations arose that sought to unify the temperance movement. Both were founded primarily by religious people, and classified the temperate lifestyle as “godly” (p. 128). By the mid-1820s Lyman Beecher began to build a following to create a temperance organization based upon his beliefs. He was not a fan of the ambiguity of the temperance movement as it was, and sought to “cut away any happy middle ground” in an effort to create a “national organization to provide central direction (p.129).” These beliefs resulted in the formation of the American Temperance Society in 1826. Like the organizations before it the American Temperance Society was closely tied to religion. However, unlike previous movements, it was tied to Evangelical Protestantism. The movement churches to further the cause and “by 1834 there were estimates that five thousand state and local societies that promoted the cause (p. 130).” However, similarly to