The nineteenth century was like none other. It changed the way people thought and acted and caused people to be more inquisitive of the issues concerning the nation. From the time Monroe took up presidency until the Civil War people were scrutinizing the society and attempted to reform it. They used many tactic such as public speaking, literature, protests, and sometimes even violence in order to express their views. The American reform movements reflected an optimistic view of human nature and society which could easily be seen through the Abolitionist movement and the.
The abolitionist movement was led by many people both white and black. One of the most notable abolitionists was William Lloyd Garrison who published The Liberator and first organized the New England Anti-Slavery Society. He realized that all men are created equal and believed that slavery was against this conviction therefore making it unconstitutional. He tried to inform the people that they were supposed to be good in order to achieve salvation and that people who owned slaves were "cowardly". Another important abolitionist was Frederick Douglass and he also wrote a pice of literature called the North Star. He touched many hearts because of his first hand experiences as a slave and endorsed slave rebellions. He tried to tell society that humans are not property, they feel pain and have dignity and by owning slaves you were denying them of their rights as humans. Both believed that total emancipation would be morally good for society.
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Temperance, probably the biggest reform during this time period, stressed abstinence. The most important leader of this movement was a man by the name of Finney. Lecturing was a strong point of Finney and he described to people the awful fate of those who drank. He urged the people to not only stop themselves but to stop others. He realized that the nation would improve socially, economically, and politically if people would give up drinking.
