Reform Movements

Apush FRQ Changes resulting from the aftermath of the Market Revolution led to a plethora of reformations for American civilization. After many years of what appeared to be a degradation of American progress and development, a sudden spark ignited the flame that was known as the era of reformation. Various reform movements grew from the ground up after a realization occurred in Americans that modifications needed to be made. Groups of people gathered together to improve upon education, women's rights, and temperance. One reform movement that has had lasting consequences on American culture was the education reform. Before the Market Revolution, education in America was weak, informal, and obstructive. Students did not learn nearly enough of what they needed to succeed in life. It wasn't until the Workingmen's movement and their push for free, tax-supported schooling that American education began to emerge as a powerful instrument for learning. Horace Mann, the head of the first state board of education, was the man who cemented the role of formal schooling into American society. His leadership and expertise led the way towards implementing a tool that young Americans could use to adapt to their society and learn useful skill sets to help prepare themselves for the workforce. Once new schools were up and running, a drastic decrease in poverty and illiteracy rates occurred. Another significant reform movement in America was that of the equality of women. The desire for women to gain equal rights in society grew out of abolitionism, due to the many parallels between the lives of slaves and women. Women felt wronged in society as a result of the inalienable rights and privileges they had never received, such as the right to vote and the right to own property. American women felt entitled to these rights. Justice needed to be served and a reform movement was the best course of action to do so. Feminists held protests, local meetings, and conventions to support both their cause and that of the abolitionists. Although women's rights always seemed to be a minor concern in American history, the feminist reform movement made huge strides towards gaining equal rights for women and was the backbone behind the desire for equality. The last major reformation that occurred after the Market Revolution was the temperance movement. During the time of the Market Revolution, alcohol consumption was at an all time high. Americans drank during lunch. They drank during dinner. They even drank during breakfast. A group of evangelicals decided that they had had enough of this gigantic, drunken nation and founded the American Temperance Movement. This group of temperance crusaders promoted a virtuous living without alcohol consumption. They used many techniques developed by the Sabbatarian reformers before them to mobilize public opinion. These techniques included starting a massive propaganda campaign outlining the dangers of alcohol consumption to the masses and using church officials to spread the word of the sin and wrongdoing that alcohol brings. Out of all of the reformations, the temperance movement had one of the most significant impacts on society and successfully decreased American alcohol consumption by a third of what it once was. The era of reformation that occurred after the Market Revolution was a time of great change in American society. The improvements made during this period helped to boost public education, increase upon the rights of women, and decrease the amount of alcohol consumption. These reforms still resound in our culture today and are now a crucial part of who we are as Americans.