Reform Movement 1800's

The Reform Movement is a collection of social reform movements that emerged throughout the 1820’s and 1830’s. Factors driving these movements were the growth of urbanization, changes in labor, immigration and emergence of a new middle class. The main driving factor was the religious fervor that swept middle class America and was characterized by the need for large scale provisions for the needy, a belief in the basic goodness of human nature and the reformers moralistic dogmatism. All these factors drove the reform movements that focused on education, temperance, morals, abolitionism and women’s rights. All of these movements would shape the United States into the nation we know today.
Education reform was driven by the change in thought process from viewing children as inherently evil to viewing them as born innocent with the need of nurture and encouragement. The implementation of changes in education was spearheaded by the Massachusetts State Board of Education headed by Horace Mann. Mann pioneered compulsory education funded by public taxes, with uniformity in curriculum and teacher training. This new public education created the first real career for woman and the expansion of their training was advocated by Catherine Beecher.
The group soon realized that prostitution was not necessarily a moral issue but and economic issue, which led to charity work for women and children in need. Another proponent of women’s issues was Dorothea Dix, who was horrified by the treatment for insane women. Her actions led to the asylum movement, which led to the establishment of state asylums for the insane. Similar reforms took place to address social issues such as: prison reform, establishment of orphanages, homes of refuge and