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U.S. History I - American Society and Culture 1815–1860

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    Study Guide U.S. History I – American Society and Culture 1815 – 1860 1. Impulse for Reform During the first half of the 1800s, politicians largely ignored social problems like alcoholism, slavery, education, and women’s rights. Reformers — both individuals and organizations — worked to address these issues. 1.1 The Temperance Movement By the early 1800s, Americans were drinking more than five gallons of hard liquor per person per year . High alcohol consumption caused: • Poverty, as workers spent wages on alcohol instead of food or rent • Workplace absenteeism • Abuse of wives and children Key developments: • 1826: American Temperance Society formed to persuade people to abstain from alcohol. • The movement later pushed for laws to limit alcohol sales. • By the 1840s, national consumption dropped by half . • Reformers continued advocating for total prohibition, leading to the 18th Amendment in 1919 . 1.2 Improving Public Education The 1830s saw a growing demand for free public education: • Voting rights expanded, making an educated electorate more important. • Factory workers wanted better opportunities for their children. • Schools previously taught only the “three Rs” (reading, writing, arithmetic) in mixed - age classrooms .

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    Study Guide Massachusetts led reform: • 1827: Law established high schools and curricula based on community size. • 1837: Horace Mann became Secretary of the Massachusetts State Board of Education. He implemented: o State funding for schools o New high schools o Compulsory attendance laws o Teacher training and structured curricula o Age - and skill - based grading Other advances: • Lyceums (public lecture organizations) promoted education and culture. • More women became teachers; first girls’ high school opened in 1821 . • Coeducation began at Oberlin College (1833) ; Mount Holyoke opened as a women’s college in 1837 . • Northern states benefited more than the South; African Americans had limited access to quality education. 1.3 The Abolitionist Movement Slavery was a highly controversial issue : • 1836: Congress passed a gag rule , banning discussion of slavery petitions. • Many Americans opposed slavery but were divided: o Some were unwilling to act o Others opposed expansion but accepted slavery where it existed • American Colonization Society (1822): Sent freed slaves to Liberia , but only 15,000 emigrated in 40 years. Abolitionists: • William Lloyd Garrison : Published the Liberator (1831) and founded the American Anti - Slavery Society (1833) .

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    Study Guide • Demanded: o Immediate end to slavery without compensation o End to domestic slave trade o Equality of blacks and whites Movement divisions: • Garrison opposed political action; moderates formed the Liberty Party , running James G. Birney in 1840. • Debate over women’s role in the movement caused splits. • Free blacks, including Frederick Douglass , were vocal supporters and speakers. 1.4 Beginnings of the Women’s Rights Movement Reform movements gave women opportunities in public life. • Dorothea Dix worked to improve care for the mentally ill. • 1840: Women were excluded from the World Anti - Slavery Convention in London. • 1848: Seneca Falls Convention (NY) led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott . o Drafted the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions . o Demanded: • Legal equality • Equal employment opportunities • Right to vote • Changes in divorce laws Achievements before the Civil War: • Married women gained some property rights • Voting rights came much later ( 1920, 19th Amendment ) • Careers mostly limited to teaching and nursing

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