Era of Reforms America’s Early 19 th Century Culture Unit IVC AP United States History.

Era of Reforms Era of Reforms America’s Early 19America’s Early 19thth

Century CultureCentury Culture

Unit IVCUnit IVC

AP United States HistoryAP United States History

The Second Great AwakeningThe Second Great Awakening► Religious revivalist reaction to Religious revivalist reaction to

Enlightenment principles and Enlightenment principles and conservative Puritan ideals conservative Puritan ideals beginning in 1790s and into beginning in 1790s and into early 19early 19thth century century

► Educated ministers promote Educated ministers promote salvation for all and life void salvation for all and life void of vicesof vices

► Revivals meetingsRevivals meetings New York’s Burned-Over New York’s Burned-Over

DistrictDistrict► Protestant domination by Protestant domination by

Baptists and MethodistsBaptists and Methodists► Millennialism and Seventh-Millennialism and Seventh-

Day Adventist ChurchDay Adventist Church► Inspired social reform Inspired social reform

movementsmovements TemperanceTemperance

Mormons and Church of the Mormons and Church of the Latter-Day SaintsLatter-Day Saints

► Joseph Smith, founder Joseph Smith, founder in 1830, gathered flock in 1830, gathered flock from New York to from New York to IllinoisIllinois

► Brigham Young led Brigham Young led Mormons west and Mormons west and eventually settled in eventually settled in Utah TerritoryUtah Territory

► Book of Mormon aka Book of Mormon aka ScriptureScripture

► Open canon, exaltation, Open canon, exaltation, polygamy lead to polygamy lead to harassmentharassment

Communal SocietiesCommunal Societies Expansion provided Expansion provided

opportunities for development opportunities for development of utopiasof utopias

Fourier PhalanxesFourier Phalanxes► Tight-knit community based in a Tight-knit community based in a

phalanx-type structurephalanx-type structure Brook FarmBrook Farm

► Share equally in labor and Share equally in labor and leisureleisure

Robert Owen’s New HarmonyRobert Owen’s New Harmony► Equality in laborEquality in labor

ShakersShakers► Founded by Jane Wardley and Founded by Jane Wardley and

Mother Ann Lee as millenial Mother Ann Lee as millenial societysociety

► common ownership, shared common ownership, shared rewards, strict celibacy, against rewards, strict celibacy, against vices, “separate but equal”vices, “separate but equal”

Oneida CommunityOneida Community► Founded by John Humphrey Founded by John Humphrey

NoyesNoyes► ““perfectionists,” married to all, perfectionists,” married to all,

children raised communally children raised communally

Reform MovementsReform Movements► TemperanceTemperance

Reform movement which Reform movement which gathered political support against gathered political support against society’s vices (alcoholism, society’s vices (alcoholism, gambling, prostitution)gambling, prostitution)

American Temperance Society American Temperance Society (1826)(1826)► Founded by Lyman BeecherFounded by Lyman Beecher► Abstinence from liquorAbstinence from liquor

Washingtonians (1840)Washingtonians (1840)► Founded by alcoholics who Founded by alcoholics who

focused on individualsfocused on individuals

► Rehabilitation and InstitutionsRehabilitation and Institutions Dorothea Dix and Dorothea Dix and

asylums/mental institutionsasylums/mental institutions Educational and rehabilitation for Educational and rehabilitation for

handicappedhandicapped Prisons and penal societiesPrisons and penal societies

► Improve conditionsImprove conditions► Provide rehabilitation and work Provide rehabilitation and work

programsprograms

► EducationEducation Support for public Support for public

educationeducation► Larger working and Larger working and

middles class needs middles class needs to be informed and to be informed and trainedtrained

Horace MannHorace Mann► State board of State board of

education in education in MassachusettsMassachusetts

► Free public education Free public education with trained teacherswith trained teachers

► Teach democracy and Teach democracy and social valuessocial values

Private and religious Private and religious schools incorporate schools incorporate morality in literacymorality in literacy

Noah WebsterNoah Webster► Standardized Standardized

American English with American English with dictionary (1828)dictionary (1828)

Health, Literacy, Entertainment in Health, Literacy, Entertainment in AmericaAmerica

► Home Design and Home Design and FurnishingFurnishing Visual representation of Visual representation of

social classessocial classes► DiseasesDiseases

Cholera in 1830sCholera in 1830s► NewspapersNewspapers

Penny pressPenny press Associated Press (AP) Associated Press (AP)

(1846)(1846)► FictionFiction► LecturesLectures► TheatersTheaters

Performing arts Performing arts increases with increases with urbanizationurbanization

Minstrel shows – Minstrel shows – blackfaceblackface

TranscendentalismTranscendentalism► Spiritual gain over materialismSpiritual gain over materialism► Individual over the organization/groupIndividual over the organization/group► Ralph Waldo EmersonRalph Waldo Emerson

Self-Reliance Self-Reliance (1841)(1841)► ““Nothing is at last sacred, but the integrity Nothing is at last sacred, but the integrity

of your own mind.”of your own mind.”► Communion with the unity of the universe; Communion with the unity of the universe;

divinity of the individualdivinity of the individual The American Scholar The American Scholar (1837)(1837)

► Despite cultural heritage, instinctive Despite cultural heritage, instinctive creative genius of individual could lead to creative genius of individual could lead to greatnessgreatness

► Henry David Thoreau (Henry David Thoreau (WaldenWalden, , On On Civil DisobedienceCivil Disobedience)) ““I went to the woods because I wished to I went to the woods because I wished to

live deliberately, to front only the live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not essential facts of life, and see if I could not what it had to teach, and not, when I what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived.”came to die, discover that I had not lived.”

Passive resistance – a public refusal to Passive resistance – a public refusal to obey unjust lawsobey unjust laws

America’s Culture ChangesAmerica’s Culture Changes► RomanticismRomanticism

Beyond reason, seek understanding and expression of emotion and spiritBeyond reason, seek understanding and expression of emotion and spirit Associated with growth of nationalismAssociated with growth of nationalism

► PaintingsPaintings Portraits of ordinary American lifePortraits of ordinary American life American landscapesAmerican landscapes Hudson River SchoolHudson River School

► Discovery, exploration, settlement themesDiscovery, exploration, settlement themes► Human co-existence with nature; nature the manifestation of GodHuman co-existence with nature; nature the manifestation of God

► ArchitectureArchitecture Classical-style constructionClassical-style construction

► LiteratureLiterature Transition from European/British style to more American styleTransition from European/British style to more American style Reflects Romanticism with emotional and natural themesReflects Romanticism with emotional and natural themes Washington Irving: Washington Irving: Rip van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy HollowRip van Winkle, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow James Fenimore Cooper: James Fenimore Cooper: The Last of the Mohicans, DeerslayerThe Last of the Mohicans, Deerslayer Nathaniel Hawthorne: Nathaniel Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven GablesThe Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables Herman Melville: Herman Melville: Moby-DickMoby-Dick Edgar Allen Poe: Edgar Allen Poe: The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the The Raven, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Fall of the

House of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of AmontilladoHouse of Usher, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado Walt Whitman: Walt Whitman: Leaves of GrassLeaves of Grass Emily Dickinson: Emily Dickinson: PoemsPoems

Hudson River School – Thomas Hudson River School – Thomas ColeCole

American ArchitectureAmerican Architecture

Parthenon - Athens

Pantheon - Rome

U.S. Capitol - c. 1820New York Customs House - 1842

Themes in American Themes in American LiteratureLiterature

► The Last of the MohicansThe Last of the Mohicans by James Fenimore Cooper by James Fenimore Cooper tragedy of encroachment of European/American civilization on tragedy of encroachment of European/American civilization on

NativesNatives Use of nature as a form of developing charactersUse of nature as a form of developing characters SpiritualitySpirituality

► The Scarlet LetterThe Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne by Nathaniel Hawthorne Satire on America’s puritanical lifestyle and conformitySatire on America’s puritanical lifestyle and conformity Sin more as an opportunity for growth rather than a hindranceSin more as an opportunity for growth rather than a hindrance Strength of the individual over the communityStrength of the individual over the community

► Moby-DickMoby-Dick by Herman Melville by Herman Melville No matter how much knowledge acquired, no way to fully No matter how much knowledge acquired, no way to fully

understand the force of natureunderstand the force of nature Captain Ahab views Moby-Dick as embodiment of evil and his Captain Ahab views Moby-Dick as embodiment of evil and his

vengeance leads to his destructionvengeance leads to his destruction► Edgar Allen PoeEdgar Allen Poe

Fear is the strongest emotionFear is the strongest emotion Frowned upon optimismFrowned upon optimism