Reform Movements in the United States Sought to Expand Democratic Ideals." Assess the Validity of This Statement with Specific Reference to the Years 1825 to 1850.
As Americans entered an era of transition and instability, they sought to expand democratic ideals in the society. In response to sudden changes occurring and traditional values being challenged, various reform movements during 1825-1850 began to focus on democratic ideals. The rise of religious revivals, movements for equal rights and protecting liberties of different social groups, want to advance society technologically, and desire to bring order and control helped reform the society to live up to the nation’s founding ideals. Teaching them (I don’t get who “them” is) the habits of thrift, orderliness, temperance and industry was a way to not only better their lives but a way to instill certain democratic values and advance the perfection of society as a whole. The rise of popular religion and a series of religious revivals reinforced American democracy and liberty.
The Second Great Awakening was a huge religious reform movement that sought to re-captivate religious interest in America. One of its new breakthroughs is its representation of democratic ideas, or: “a reworking of traditional religious institutions to better match the average American’s sensibilities and frontier lifestyles (Second Great Awakening).” In this attempt to capture interest, this new theology differed from the previous Calvinist viewpoint that people’s predestined path to heaven or hell could only be altered by God’s choosing, in that the new theology emphasized individual free will, and equality in God’s eyes- a characteristic of democracy. These new theologies emphasized: “human choice. Reform of the individual human heart and also broader social institutions was indeed possible (Second Great Awakening).” Church ministers were elected and churches believed in a “priesthood of all believers.” Such religious reforms sought to expand democratic ideals into the churches. The theology of the Second Great Awakening can be divided into many different subdivisions which all spread out and
The Second Great Awakening was a huge religious reform movement that sought to re-captivate religious interest in America. One of its new breakthroughs is its representation of democratic ideas, or: “a reworking of traditional religious institutions to better match the average American’s sensibilities and frontier lifestyles (Second Great Awakening).” In this attempt to capture interest, this new theology differed from the previous Calvinist viewpoint that people’s predestined path to heaven or hell could only be altered by God’s choosing, in that the new theology emphasized individual free will, and equality in God’s eyes- a characteristic of democracy. These new theologies emphasized: “human choice. Reform of the individual human heart and also broader social institutions was indeed possible (Second Great Awakening).” Church ministers were elected and churches believed in a “priesthood of all believers.” Such religious reforms sought to expand democratic ideals into the churches. The theology of the Second Great Awakening can be divided into many different subdivisions which all spread out and