Antebellum Era Dbq Analysis

Reformers in the antebellum era were concerned about the lack of religion, women's rights, slavery and numerous other social reforms. These important issues were tackled by eloquent speakers like Charles Finney who jump started the Second Great Awakening, and people who noticed that they way the people in power were handing things was wrong, like Dorothea Dix who created reforms for the mentally ill. The people in the antebellum era made a difference by realizing
The Second Great Awakening was a series of religious revivals in the United States led by Charles Finney (Newman 207). Charles Finney was a New York preacher who instead of using logic, he used emotion to compel people to become religious, “There must be excitement sufficient to
wake up the dormant moral powers, and roll back the tide of degradation and sin (Doc 3). Additionally new religions were invented like The Shakers who pledged to live a celibate life, and the Mormons (Newman 208). Also Sunday school was invented, which was a religious school, because people believed that “consequences on that class for whom the benefits of public education are most essential--the children of the poor” (Doc 5).
With all the movements occurring, women realized that they were not given equal rights to men and were treated like second class citizens. In 1848 feminists met to have the firsts women's rights convention in the United States (Newman 214). The convention was called the Seneca Falls Convention, since it was held in Seneca Falls, New York (Doc 1). At this convention the feminists declared that, “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men and women are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure these rights governments are instituted, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed”(Doc 7). Most of the people who worked in these factories were women or young children.
With the Second Great Awaking people became more aware how they treated people, because they saw it as against there religion. Dorothea Dix led a movement in fixing uncertainty mental hospital for mentally ill people who were people treated like convicted criminals (Newman 212).
The Industrial Revolution produced inventions like the spinning jenny, mills and Eli Whitney's cotton gin(Fraser 261).
Since the technology were fairly new there were no rules or regulations on how to run a safe factory. Most of the workers of these factories were women or young children, “They were paid two dollars a week. The working hours of all the girls extended from five o'clock in the morning until seven in the evening, with one half hour each, for breakfast and dinner. Even the doffers were forced to be on duty nearly fourteen hours a day. This was the greatest hardship in the lives of these children” (Doc 4).
Additionally women identified with slaves because they both got unequal treatment. In Document 8 there is a slave woman kneeling with chains on her wrists, with the words “ I am not a woman and a sister”.
Overall, Reformers in the antebellum era were concerned about religion, women's rights, slavery and were trying to reform the American society. What made this time period so successful was that the white males who were empowered, spoke up with the mistreated people. Just by creating an anti-slavery newspaper The Liberator published by William Lloyd Garrison was able to help shine light on the horrors of slavery (215). When the white males were able to recognize their privilege it led to action, and the people who did not have a voice, were finally given
one.