The Antebellum Era Major Social Reform Movements Essay

The antebellum period was full of social reform movements based on the urge to eradicate evil and improve human conditions in society. Despite the attempt to deal with a wide variety of reforms to provide positive changes to society these reform movements were met with varying degrees of success. This essay will focus on five of the major social reform movements of that era discussing their accomplishments, failures and impacts on America as a whole. They are the reforms of abolition, women’s suffrage, temperance, institutional and educational reforms. The reform movements of the 1830’s and 1840’s were largely due to humanitarian reasons because of a period of Enlightenment in the previous century which emphasized rational over†¦show more content†¦The Quakers were the first to denounce slavery because of their religious belief that all people are equal in the eyes of God. In the South servitude and slavery were taken for granted as part of a time honored class system that promoted the â€Å"cottonocracy† with elitist wealth and privilege. Black service in American armies during the revolution, black abolitionist petitions for emancipation and the actions of white anti-slavery societies all motivated the movement to the forefront of American politics. The movement had a negative impact on the South due to the growth of the cotton industry and the invention of the cotton gin by Eli Whitney in 1793 making slavery an even more vital part of the Southern and national economies. This encouraged legislation that limited rights of free blacks which gave way to the Underground Railroad and the Fugitive Slave Law in 1850. Black unrest in the South inspired urgency among white abolitionists who feared that maintaining slavery would lead to more violence. As a result of the abolitionist movement the Liberty Party was formed with candidates running in every election between 1840 and 1860. However, the abolitionist movement did not abolish slavery or improve the status of African-Americans in the antebellum period and only suc ceeded in making the South more militant against the idea of abolitionism which created violent riots in some areas. Abolitionism paved the way for further reforms which included women’sShow MoreRelatedAmerican Reformers, By Ronald G. Walters1087 Words   |  5 PagesAmerican Reformers,1815-1860 Book Review American Reformers, 1815-1860 goes into the social and political issues surrounding the Jackson Presidency. Ronald G. Walters effectively chronicalizes the reformation and radicalization of the main issues prevalent in early 19th century. These issues included slavery, alcoholism, women’s rights, religion and science. 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