Ronald G. Walters’ American Reformers 1815-1860, is an account of the vastly different reform movements, (yet similar in nature), that took place during the time period. His thesis is that the inspiration for the start of the reform period comes from the powerful societal influence of evangelical Protestantism. “Revivals in the early nineteenth century were so frequent and widespread that historians sometimes apply the phrase “Second Great Awakening” to the entire period from 1795 to 1837” (21). Yet by time of the Civil War this overall movement towards reform moves away from religion as a driving force and turns towards the notion that through public engagement in the form of politics the government can regulate and pass laws that will
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He paints clear pictures of their motives as well as their means towards reforms. The best example of this is his profile throughout the book on Lyman Beecher, whom was a pastor in upstate NY involved in the Anti-Dueling Society (30) and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, which was begun by Congregationalists in 1810 (31). The author makes it clear that the start of the reform was in the Evangelical Protestant religion (15). It was the fear of moral sin and the response by the Jacksonian democrats who stated that people should be fearful of the relationship between church and state. As the movements left the fringe of society, the leaders of the movements used government and public policy at the center of their struggle instead of focusing on the working outside of the political system such as education. Feminists such as the Grimke sisters argued that they were justified public roles in the government, and felt that they should focus on public change instead of focusing on reforms regarding the family structure …show more content…
It’s clear that Walters tries to include new perspectives and cultural information he deemed to be valuable to the story he tells in each chapter. Despite covering a vast amount of different reform movements I give credit to the author for doing a great job of weaving the similarities between the movements. The main similarity between these movements is that they are all idealists who cared about the common good, many of them were involved in more than one movement such as the Grimke sisters or Theodore
He paints clear pictures of their motives as well as their means towards reforms. The best example of this is his profile throughout the book on Lyman Beecher, whom was a pastor in upstate NY involved in the Anti-Dueling Society (30) and the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, which was begun by Congregationalists in 1810 (31). The author makes it clear that the start of the reform was in the Evangelical Protestant religion (15). It was the fear of moral sin and the response by the Jacksonian democrats who stated that people should be fearful of the relationship between church and state. As the movements left the fringe of society, the leaders of the movements used government and public policy at the center of their struggle instead of focusing on the working outside of the political system such as education. Feminists such as the Grimke sisters argued that they were justified public roles in the government, and felt that they should focus on public change instead of focusing on reforms regarding the family structure …show more content…
It’s clear that Walters tries to include new perspectives and cultural information he deemed to be valuable to the story he tells in each chapter. Despite covering a vast amount of different reform movements I give credit to the author for doing a great job of weaving the similarities between the movements. The main similarity between these movements is that they are all idealists who cared about the common good, many of them were involved in more than one movement such as the Grimke sisters or Theodore