Reform and utopian movements
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Transcript of Reform and utopian movements
Reform Movements and Reform Movements and Utopian SocietiesUtopian Societies
Questions for today:Questions for today:
How did 19How did 19thth-century -century Americans seek to Americans seek to improve their improve their society? society?
How were their How were their efforts at odds with efforts at odds with one another?one another?
OutlineOutline
1) Growing Middle Class 1) Growing Middle Class
2) Second Great Awakening2) Second Great Awakening
3) Middle-class reform:3) Middle-class reform:
- Temperance- Temperance
- Stop prostitution - Stop prostitution
4) Utopian communities: 4) Utopian communities:
New Harmony, Indiana New Harmony, Indiana
Brook Farm, Mass.Brook Farm, Mass.
Oneida, NYOneida, NY
1. Growing Middle Class1. Growing Middle Class
Work ethic: sober, Work ethic: sober, reliablereliable
Cult of Domesticity: Cult of Domesticity: Women as moral Women as moral guardiansguardians
Separate spheresSeparate spheres
Godey’s Lady’s Book (1850, 1851)Godey’s Lady’s Book (1850, 1851)
2. Second Great Awakening2. Second Great Awakening
Charles B. Finney,Charles B. Finney,Evangelical preacherEvangelical preacher
PerfectionismPerfectionism
Conformity through Conformity through reformreform
Only moral standard: Only moral standard: Protestant middle Protestant middle classclass
3. Middle Class Reform: 3. Middle Class Reform: Temperance MovementTemperance Movement
Alcoholism causes domestic violenceAlcoholism causes domestic violence
Techniques of revivalismTechniques of revivalism
““The Temperance “The Drunkard’sThe Temperance “The Drunkard’sHome” (1850) Home”Home” (1850) Home”
The BottleThe Bottle (1848) (1848)
Successes of Temperance Movement:Successes of Temperance Movement:
Reduced alcohol consumptionReduced alcohol consumption
Helped fight violence against womenHelped fight violence against women
Women engaged in public activityWomen engaged in public activity
Crusade against ProstitutionCrusade against Prostitution
Female Moral Reform SocietyFemale Moral Reform Society
Attacked the sexual double standardAttacked the sexual double standard
Homes of RefugeHomes of Refuge
Causes: poverty and male demandCauses: poverty and male demand
4. Utopian communities4. Utopian communities
1820-1860: wide range of experiments1820-1860: wide range of experiments
Liberal: reform can reduce the worst Liberal: reform can reduce the worst aspects of capitalism (poverty)aspects of capitalism (poverty)
Radical: capitalism has flaws that reform Radical: capitalism has flaws that reform cannot fix. A new society is needed. cannot fix. A new society is needed.
New Harmony, Indiana, 1825-1827New Harmony, Indiana, 1825-1827Robert Owen Frances WrightRobert Owen Frances Wright
New Harmony, IndianaNew Harmony, Indiana
Cooperation, not Cooperation, not competitioncompetition
Full racial equalityFull racial equality
No marriage. “Free No marriage. “Free love”love”
Make birth control Make birth control and divorce availableand divorce available
Brook Farm, Mass., 1841-1846Brook Farm, Mass., 1841-1846
Both intellectual and Both intellectual and manual labormanual labor
Transcendentalism:Transcendentalism:– Reality above Reality above
everyday liveseveryday lives
IndividualismIndividualism
Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson
Mystical unity of Mystical unity of naturenature
An original relation An original relation to the universeto the universe
Self-reliance (not Self-reliance (not organized religion)organized religion)
Henry David ThoreauHenry David Thoreau
““To live deliberately” To live deliberately”
Individualism: a Individualism: a different drummerdifferent drummer
What is a life well What is a life well lived?lived?
Oneida Community, NY, 1848-1881Oneida Community, NY, 1848-1881John Humphrey NoyesJohn Humphrey Noyes
PerfectionismPerfectionism
Complex marriagesComplex marriages
Outside the lawOutside the law
Strict rules about Strict rules about sexsex
Oneida: children’s houseOneida: children’s house
Oneida: mansionOneida: mansion
Oneida: group photoOneida: group photo
Noyes in later yearsNoyes in later years
Oneida SilverwareOneida Silverware
A vast array of proposalsA vast array of proposals
Middle-class values: self-discipline, workMiddle-class values: self-discipline, work
Self-determination (free love, no racism)Self-determination (free love, no racism)
Complete individualismComplete individualism
Authoritarian structures Authoritarian structures
Competing assumptions about human Competing assumptions about human naturenature