Prompt: “Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals.” Assess the validity of this statement with specific reference to the years 1825-1850.
Some reform movements in America were created to expand the democratic ideals of civil rights and political participation while others were motivated by the need to reform society.
The expectation of civil rights and political participation was widely expanded by the women’s rights movement and education reform. In Seneca Falls, Elizabeth Stanton demanded that the government give them a right to vote [I]. On the engraving by Patrick Reason, the slave is making an appeal to women, grouping them all together to create a common ground. [C] Whether a woman be a slave, housewife, property owner, or plantation mistress, they are all the same. Education increased …show more content…
Religion was a major factor in societal changes. The Fourth Annual Report and Charles Finney wanted to change the spiritual and moral nature of young and old people in America [A][B]. The Drunkard’s Progress depicts he average casual drinker falling into ruin and eventually death [H]. The idea of temperance in theory would decrease domestic violence, and many of the issues of familial society. The Utopias, specifically Brook Farm, disregarded democratic practices and created little communal societies specifically for the “highest physical, intellectual, and moral education”[E]. These utopias were widely criticized for their ridiculousness. Specifically Orestes A. Brownson accused the new societies of “disowning the past” to create a new society [G]. These communities rejected democratic ideals outright. They put away cooperation and created a harsh competition that led to the eventual downfall of all of