The Antebellum Era was a time of change in America. It can be looked at as the country discovering itself. From 1825-1850 there were a series of changes that went on throughout the country. These changes included the Temperance act; putting a ban on alcohol in order to make America more successful, perfect society; the women’s rights reforms, where the cult of domesticity was being questioned by women who advocated for their rights; and lastly, reforms in public education, which were significant because there would be no need to worry about uneducated individuals in later generations. All of these changes in society were changes that were meant to broaden what was classified as democratic ideals.…
The settler societies of New England, the middle colonies, the Chesapeake, and the South had similarities as well as many differences, some being religious beliefs, labor, and their societies economic standpoint. In the article, “Advice to a Young Tradesman” by Benjamin Franklin, it’s stated, “…the way to wealth, if you desire it, is as plain as the way to market. It depends chiefly on two words, industry and frugality; that is, waste neither time nor money, but make the best use of both.” Even though these societies faced different economic and social structures, the overall common goal of each society was to be successful and make profits.…
As historian Edward Baptist uncovers in The Half Has Never Been Told, the extension of slavery in the initial eight decades after American independence drove the advancement and modernization of the United States. In the range of a solitary lifetime, the South developed from a thin seaside segment of exhausted tobacco manors to a mainland cotton domain, and the United States developed into an industrial, modern, and capitalist economy. Until the Civil War,…
In most new environments people are subject to act according to their surroundings and instincts, based on what they think is “right”. In the novel, Kindred, by Octavia E. Butler, the character Dana experiences time travels back to the antebellum South, where she encounters many dangerous situations. Although Dana is very clever and is able to make the best of her surroundings while helping others, it is challenging for her to do what is truly right by following her instincts, because of the immoral punishments of the antebellum south.…
Angelina Grimké begins her “Appeal to the Christian Women of the South”, by making a call of “fervent prayer” which should be preceded with in a “calm” spirit (1). She immediately dissects the social norm of slavery, through preaching “unwelcome truths” (2). Her first blow to the cause is by comparing the situation of slavery to the root theme of “liberty” and “equality”, within America’s doctrine (2). Then she uses the biblical references to bring to light a “test” of morals (3). She does this in the hope of backing her “appeal” to the “faith” and “practice” of American’s regarding slavery (3).…
In the old south the Antebellum era was characterized by a slave society that affected nearly everything. In the South’s slavery defined social and political institutions while also fueling their economy. Slavery influenced made the South’s cotton trade more efficient with codependence on northern banks and merchants. The south’s cotton industry depended on slave labor a lot and later fueled political debates at economic conventions in 1837 to 1839. Regards the south northern dependence on financiers and importers these two things were the threat of the Old South’s commercial independence. Slavery had many other effects on politics where yeomen farmers wished to shape the society off their own democratic values.…
To conclude: even with all the amendments and new laws, America has immensely abortive in obtaining successful political, economic, and social equality. As long as there is the opposition of freedmen, Freedmen’s Bureau, Carpetbaggers, K.K.K. members, and other groups, the nation would continue remaining dysfunctional. To others, learning the extent of the Reconstruction Era unsuccessfully achieving political, economic, and social equality, may help historians and others by teaching them their nation’s…
The Antebellum period was known as a period of many reforms and social movements, one of which being the education reform movements. The Antebellum period was characterized by its numerous reforms and social movements, which included reform on education. How did education reform reflect the changing views and morals of society during the Antebellum period?…
Although there were some similarities between the Antebellum Period and the mid 20th century in terms of the impact of religion, there were also some differences. One difference was that during the Antebellum period, in the Second Great Awakening, people didn’t challenge Christianity, rather they challenged how God was viewed in relationship to his worshippers (essentially the view was that individuals had a direct relationship with God that was unmediated by a church officials and that human dignity required freedom of will). It was an undeniable fact of life during the 1800s that religion, specifically Christianity, was practiced by everyone in the country regardless of race or sex. However, in the mid 20th century, with the emergence of…
The “New South’ should have been a time for new beginnings for all, but it was taken advantage of by greedy entrepreneurs from the north, who capitalized off the weakness of the South after the war (Sitterson 1952). During this time the South was still being led by “Whigs with industrial, commercial, and capitalistic interest”. It was not just that which held the south back, but it was also the resistance and…
Although segregation and uniformity dominated the societal values of the South during the antebellum era, one of the defining characteristics which surfaced during this time period for the predominately white society is that of diversity. Due to a variety of factors including a wide economic divide, mixed political views, and differing attitudes toward the controversial issue of slavery, the class system of the white South could be divided into four social groups. These social groups consisted of the planters, small slaveholders, yeoman, and the people of the pine barrens. The standard of living between these four groups varied wildly, and the core values that each of these classes held reflected the diverse abyss which shaped the white social structure.…
In the 1800’s there was much turmoil over the debate of slavery and whether it was inhumane or not. Slavery caused the nation to separate into 2 factions; the north, who believe in abolishing slavery and the south who thought that slavery was a “benign institution” as quoted by Ulrich B. Phillips. There is much debate whether slavery was the prominent cause of the Civil War. Contrary to popular belief, slavery was not the ultimate cause of the Civil War; in fact the economic, cultural, and political differences between the North and South played more prominent roles in the instigation of the Civil War and influenced the beginnings of slavery.…
The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of African slavery in America in the antebellum by late eighteenth century and before the antebellum crisis as discussed in Paul Finkelman’s book: Defending Slavery.…
The south region remained overwhelming rural while in the North the region was transformed into an “integrated economy of commercial farms and manufacturing cities”. The spread of market relation, “the westward movement of population and the rise of vigorous political democracy all reshape the idea of freedom, and identity, evermore closely with economic opportunity, physical mobility and participation in a vibrantly democratic political system.” the market revolution and territorial expansion were “intimately connected with a third central element of American…
Have you ever thought about the explicit details that went into the creation of America? Slavery and the Making of America, written by James Oliver Horton and Lois E. Horton uses facts and stories to portray the life of slaves, and the evolution of slavery over several decades, and its effect on America today. The title of this book, Slavery and the Making of America is a great leeway into the authors’ main thesis of the book; “Slavery was, and continues to be, a critical factor in shaping the United States and all of its people. As Americans, we must understand slavery’s history if we are ever to be emancipated from its consequences,” (Horton). Throughout the six chapters in this book, the authors’ go into explicit details on what actions from both white Americans and African slaves led to the Civil War, the abolition of slavery and America as it is today.…