Glossary
Abolitionist Movement
A social and political movement dedicated to ending slavery and the slave trade in the United States.
Example:
Frederick Douglass, a formerly enslaved person, became a powerful orator for the Abolitionist Movement, using his personal story to expose the horrors of slavery.
Antebellum Reform Movements
Various social, religious, and political efforts in the period before the Civil War aimed at improving American society and addressing perceived moral wrongs.
Example:
The push for universal public education, alongside the fight against slavery, represented key aspects of the Antebellum Reform Movements seeking to perfect American society.
Civil War
A devastating conflict fought in the United States from 1861 to 1865 between the Union (Northern states) and the Confederacy (Southern states) primarily over the issue of slavery and states' rights.
Example:
The Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point in the Civil War, demonstrated the immense human cost of the conflict and dashed Confederate hopes of invading the North.
Declaration of Sentiments
A document signed at the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, modeled after the Declaration of Independence, that detailed the grievances and demands of women for equal rights.
Example:
The Declaration of Sentiments famously declared that 'all men and women are created equal,' challenging the prevailing patriarchal norms of the era.
Election of 1860
A pivotal presidential election in which Abraham Lincoln, a Republican, won without any Southern electoral votes, leading directly to the secession of Southern states.
Example:
The outcome of the Election of 1860 signaled to many Southern states that their way of life, based on slavery, was under existential threat, prompting their withdrawal from the Union.
Manifest Destiny
The 19th-century belief that the United States was divinely ordained to expand its dominion and spread democracy across the North American continent.
Example:
The acquisition of the Oregon Territory from Britain was seen by many Americans as a fulfillment of Manifest Destiny, extending the nation's reach to the Pacific.
Market Revolution
A drastic change in the U.S. economy during the 19th century, shifting from a localized, agrarian system to a national, industrial one driven by new technologies and transportation.
Example:
The construction of the Erie Canal, connecting the Great Lakes to the Atlantic, was a prime example of the Market Revolution in action, dramatically reducing shipping costs and fostering economic growth.
Public School Movement
A reform effort aimed at establishing publicly funded, accessible education for all children, particularly prominent in the North.
Example:
Horace Mann's advocacy for standardized curricula and teacher training was instrumental in the success of the Public School Movement, laying the foundation for modern American education.
Second Great Awakening
A Protestant religious revival movement during the early 19th century that emphasized personal salvation and inspired widespread social reform efforts.
Example:
The fervent sermons and camp meetings of the Second Great Awakening encouraged individuals to improve society, directly fueling movements like temperance and abolition.
Sectionalism
Loyalty to one's own region or section of the country, rather than to the country as a whole, often leading to conflicting interests and political divisions.
Example:
The economic reliance on slave labor in the South versus the industrializing North created deep sectionalism that ultimately led to the Civil War.
Seneca Falls Convention
The first women's rights convention in the United States, held in 1848, which launched the organized women's suffrage movement.
Example:
At the Seneca Falls Convention, Elizabeth Cady Stanton read the Declaration of Sentiments, boldly asserting women's equality and demanding the right to vote.
Temperance Movement
A social movement advocating for the reduction or complete prohibition of alcohol consumption, believing it was the root of many societal problems.
Example:
Many women joined the Temperance Movement, arguing that alcohol abuse led to domestic violence and poverty, and they actively campaigned for state-level prohibition laws.
Underground Railroad
A network of secret routes and safe houses used by enslaved African Americans to escape to free states and Canada with the aid of abolitionists and allies.
Example:
Harriet Tubman, known as 'Moses,' courageously guided hundreds of enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad, risking her life with each journey.
Utopian Communities Movement
A series of experimental communities established in the 19th century with the goal of creating perfect societies based on shared ideals like equality and cooperation.
Example:
The Oneida Community, known for its communal living and complex marriage practices, was a notable example of a Utopian Community Movement seeking to redefine social norms.
Women's Rights Movement
A social movement in the 19th century that sought to achieve greater equality for women, initially focusing on legal rights and later on suffrage.
Example:
The demand for women to own property and control their own wages, rather than their husbands, was a central tenet of the early Women's Rights Movement.