November
7
Blog #125 – Antebellum Reformer Speed Dating
So you’ve had a chance to meet a bunch of antebellum reformers on Thursday’s speed dating simulation. You may have found some like-minded reformers and some who might not fit the best with your approach to tackling the nation’s variety of problems. One thing to keep in mind is that these reformers had been alarmed by the rapid changes taking place in America since the turn of the century, and fueled by the 2nd Great Awakening, they felt that they wanted to help fix poverty and crime, and / or eradicate what they saw as the national sin of slavery. By persuing reform, these reformers sought to take charge of their own personal salvation which was the greatest message of the 2nd Great Awakening.
Your job:
- What did you learn most about your reformer? Explain w/ specific details. Also, would this be a person you could support if he/she existed in 2019? Why or why not?
- Which of the reformers that you met would support your reformer’s goals the most? Why?
- Which of the reformers that you met would NOT support your reformer’s goals? Explain why.
350 words minimum for all 3 of your answers. Due Monday, November 11 by class.
I had known a few things about Brigham Young before this project. What I learned more about during this week was how much he liked slavery. Brigham believed that non-whites, especially black people, were under The Curse Of Ham. To summarize, during biblical times Ham (the son of Noah) “saw” his father’s nakedness. What “saw” meant in this context has been debated. In response, Noah cursed Ham’s son Canaan to be a “servant of servants”. Slave owners and pro-slavery advocates during the antebellum period used this bible story to justify slavery. They argued that black people were the descendants of Ham, and therefore were cursed to be slaves. Brigham Young used this argument to legitimize his stance on black people in the LDS church, after he banned black men from becoming priests. If Brigham Young was still alive today, I would not support him. This is mostly due to his misinterpretation of the Bible. The Bible never mentioned skin color as being a part of the curse. Ham became associated with dark skin because his name is derived from a similar word meaning “dark” or “brown”. It is also believed that the sons of Ham (minus Canaan) inhabited areas that now are a part of modern day Africa (Egypt, Libya, Ethiopia, etc). Even the most conservative of Christians have abandoned this justification for slavery. Because Brigham Young was pro-slavery, and because he used the Bible in order to justify his racism, I would not support him if he were alive in 2019.
Unfortunately for Brigham Young, not many antebellum period reformers would support his ideas. A reformer that might be a good match for him would be Robert Finley. Finley founded the American Colonization Society which had the goal of moving free blacks out of America and into Liberia. Many slave owners supported Finley believing that free black people could not coexist in America with whites. I believe that Brigham Young would agree with this viewpoint, as he was pro-slavery and believed that black people were cursed. Young would rather live in a country where there are just white people, than in an integrated society. If you put the issue of slavery aside, Lyman Beecher would be a good match for Young. They both believe that people should abstain from drinking alcohol. Beecher viewed alcohol as evil, and Young abstained because alcohol should not be consumed under the “Word of Wisdom” which is a section of a book called “The Doctrine of Covenants” which is believed to be the direct word of God.
There are many reformers that would be terrible matches for Brigham Young. Mother Ann Lee for example is celibate and believes that lust is an evil force. While she too uses Bible stories as justification for her beliefs, her opinions go against Young’s ideas surrounding marriage. Young is a believer in polygamy, which is on the opposite end of Lee’s beliefs on intimacy. Any abolitionist, except for the aforementioned, would not be a good match for Young because of his opposing views.
While researching my reformer, Sarah Josepha Hale, I learned that with everything she strove to fix in society and how hard she worked, she also had to deal with her personal life. Sarah believed in equal education for women and used her platform at the Ladies’ Magazine and working on her women’s encyclopedia to write to society about the injustices women were facing, as well as helping to establish Vassar College. With all her hard work, she also had to take care of her five children. As we know, everyone suffers some sort of loss in their life, and for Sarah, it was her husband who passed away unexpectedly. David was her everything and was the one who encouraged her and inspired her to start her writing career, so losing him was hard. In fact, she mourned him every day by wearing all black for the rest of her life. If Hale were alive today, I believe I could support her because she believed in gender equality and uniting the nation.
The reformer Sarah would agree with most that I met would be Dorthea Dix because just like Hale, she resisted abolitionism and fought to better society by fixing the treatment of the mentally ill and created her own asylum. In addition to her successes, she had a hard personal life as well which included her depressed and alcoholic dad. Reformers Sarah would not agree with were Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Elizabeth was a strong abolitionist who wanted to break the social sphere and advertised the idea of women’s voting rights. All of these things Hale disagreed with because she believed in keeping the social sphere and not allowing women to vote because she thought voting invaded the public sphere, which displayed a husband’s actions, and not a woman’s. Even though Sarah supported anti-slavery and even wrote a book about it, she was strongly against abolition because was scared of how white people would treat former slaves. Lucretia Mott led an anti-slavery convention full of women abolitionists, as well as protesting men’s society norms. She was a writer just like Hale, but chose to write books and tour about abolitionism. Despite both women’s slavery views, Sarah would have found a way to find a common goal because she supported other young women in her magazine and empowered them.
I learned mostly about Lydia Finney’s association that she ran, the New York Female Moral Reform Society. I learned that she made created it with other women to help guide younger women who were alone. I also learned that this society tried to get rid of double standards, fighting for chastity for men and women. They were very professional, writing their own constitution with rules to follow and what their main goal was. I think I’d be able to support her if she were in the modern world because sometimes it’s good having people look out for you. Especially in this time, young women alone are often targets of crime, and the society is there to provide a type of protection and guidance.
I think that Frances Ellen Harper would support Lydia Finney’s goals the most. Frances Ellen Harper strongly believed in equality for everyone, and overall wanted the world to improve. I believe that Harper could support the Female Moral Reform Society because the FMRS’s overall goal was to provide a safer and morally correct life. The society offered help to younger women who were on their own, trying to help them from selling themselves on the street because that could be dangerous, thus trying to create a safer and better life for women. Frances Ellen Harper also wanted a better life for people, and so Lydia Finney’s society could be supported by Harper.
Every reformist I met all mentioned they wanted equality for everyone except Horace Mann, so I’d have to say he’d be the least likely to support Finney’s society. Mann helped create new education systems that are still used to this day, such as bells to mark the beginning and end of each class, no punishment (in public schools), and the fact that teachers need a degree to teach. He stated that women would be better teachers and his system would eventually allow women to get further education, but I am unsure if that was his true intent. Overall, Mann’s goals and Finney’s goals were different, with one fighting for the improvement of education and the other fighting for moral guidance for people.
1.) I learned a lot about Margaret Fuller, especially how she was a leader in the movement for women’s rights. Her novel, Women in the Nineteenth Century, was very controversial and started a nationwide debate over the roles of women, especially what right a married women. If Margaret Fuller was alive today she would definitely be someone I could support. She was very ahead of her time and I think her ideas would still be relevant today. In her book, she talked about how she believed that women could do any job a man could do and weren’t limited to domestic roles. I think she would be happy with the progress we have made today, and would continue to push for equal pay for all genders and races.
2.) Of all the reformers that I meet, I think Margaret Fuller’s ideas would be the most supported by Lucy Stone. For starters, they were both from Massachusetts, the two towns they were born in are around an hour apart. In addition, they were born only a couple years apart from each other, so they come from similar backgrounds and lifestyles. They were strong advocates for women’s rights and were both against slavery. Lucy and Margaret were both writers who focused on women’s rights in their works. Lucy started a weekly newspaper called Woman’s Journal and Fuller wrote a book. Both women were highly educated and placed an emphasis on the importance of education for women. Lucy was the first Massachusetts woman to earn a college degree, and Fuller had been thoroughly educated by her father when she was young and attended school.
3.) When I meet the other reformers, I decided that Millard Fillmore would be the least likely to support Margaret Fuller’s goals. They didn’t seem to have any ideals in common. He was very against immigrants and wanted to keep them out of the country. Fuller didn’t seem to have a problem with foreigners. In fact, she spent a portion of her life in Europe, and even married an Italian man, who barely spoke English. I couldn’t find any mention of Fillmore supporting women’s rights which is something Fuller felt very strongly about.
My reformer was Lucy Stone. I learned that she was a suffragist and abolitionist. She was dedicated and passionate about equality in all aspects: gender, race, sex, etc. She refused to take her husband’s last name as a way of showing equality in marriage as well. In addition to this, she was also hired by William L. Garrison to work in the American Anti-Slavery Society. She wrote and gave abolitionist speeches and became active in women’s rights movements. Not only this, but she also attended the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848. Lucy Stone would definitely be a person I would admire if she was alive today because we have pretty similar views on the controversies such as slavery, women’s rights and equality all together. I think she made a good legacy for herself and I respect the courage she had in doing what she believed in, given the hardships during her time. If she were to exist in 2019 I definitely support her actions because she is also addressing issues which still exist today and due to these issues we have discrimination, oppresion and more. I think that people like Lucy Stone would be beneficial to our society today and could take our nation a step in the right direction due to her commitment being so great and her being so determined to make a change. I think she also would have a great potential to get everyone who is passionate about the same issue involved to be able to create a change in our society.
My goals were most supported and went hand in hand with those of Sojourner Truth and Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Sojourner Truth, was a former abused slave and therefore became a very passionate abolitionist but also a suffragist. We were both public speakers and had the opportunity to connect and meet other abolitionists. Unlike Lucy Stone, Sojourner was illiterate and therefore took advantage of her speaking and put all her energy and dedication into her speeches, especially because she realized that women weren’t accepted as public speakers and her goal was to give women rights. Elizabeth Cady Stanton also promoted the same goals as Lucy Stone. She was an abolitionist as well as suffragist. She worked with the National Women’s Suffrage Association, wrote the Constituition of Sentiments, organized the Seneca Falls Convention, was excluded from the World Anti-Slavery Convention and was the first woman to run for a seat in Congress. She advocated for women to vote and divorce easily. Lucy and Elizabeth both supported each other’s desires by focusing on the same issues. Due to the inequality during that time period it was important for suffragists especially to have others who supported the same ideas and goals as they did to be able to create a change. Abolitionists also needed people with the same desires because of all the controversy during that era.
Catharine Beecher opposes one of Lucy’s greatest passions and goals. Catharine supported education for women to a great extent and put a lot of effort into opening schools and providing the opportunity for education for women. However, she felt that women shouldn’t have a place outside of the home. She encouraged education for women, but opposed women’s suffrage. She layed value on women limiting themselves to the home and school because she felt women’s domestic roles were their source of influence on society and they had no reason to take part in anything outside of the house. While education for women was definitely important, Lucy Stone focused on more aspects of opportunities for women than just being able to go to school.
While researching Robert Owen, I learned that he was very passionate about the influence of utopian socialism, the creation of utopian communities, the flaws in many religions, and most importantly child education. Owen thought that the biggest problem facing Americans today was the poor education system and upbringing of children in the school environment. In the United States of America, Owen was known for his utopian communities (specifically the one in Indiana). Owen created the utopian community because he wanted to emphasize women’s equality. Owen was very big on making sure that women and men were equal and that workers and their bosses were equal. This community also dealt with the idea of banning private properties. This community slowly ended in about 2 years due to people not wanting to give up private properties. In 2019, I would 100% support Owen. I feel that his beliefs and actions were very influential and would go along with my morals and ideas as well.
In my opinion, Horace Man’s ideas about public education and what public education should look like supported many of my ideas. Man saw a huge problem with public school teachers and started telling teachers to go to school to learn how to teach and become a better teacher. This goes along with many ideas Owen had about public education as well. Owen realized that there were many children that were living in poor conditions, with crime surrounding them, poor education, little to no manners, and no sanitation at all. He believed that these were very big issues that had to be solved in order to make sure that we are raising children the right and proper way. Owen later opened the first ever infant school in Great Britain and instead of using corporal punishment, he decieded to teach the childern by emphasizing their charater instead and teaching them to dance, sing, etc. He was very successful in creating his own school and taught the kids many good and different values that they were not being taught before. This goes along with many of the different things Horace Man did as well.
While participating in the speed dating activity I didn’t hear anyone say they were against education or equality between men and women. Although, I assume there are many reformers that I didn’t hear that may have fit this description.
What I learned most about my reformer is how she came to be Sojourner Truth and what her biggest source of motivation was. For example, what really inspired Truth to be abolitionist and equal rights activist she was, was a strong devotion towards Christianity. After Truth escaped slavery, a family, the Van Wagenens, took her in and then later on, in 1829, she lived with evangelist preacher Elijah Pierson and another later on named Robert Mathews. Living with these people awakened that Christianity devotion which led her to want to preach and speak the truth, leading to changing her name from Isabella Baumfree to Sojourner Truth which I thought was very interesting. If Truth was alive today, she would definitely be someone I’d support because she spoke on equal rights for black women and one problem that I believe still occurs today is injustice for some black women and stereotypes, etc. which is something that I think relates to Truth’s cause.
A reformer that I met that I think would support my reformer the most is Theodore Dwightweld. He was also an abolitionist and lived/ grew up in a religious house so he probably had very strong feelings towards Christianity like my reformer. Dwightweld believed that slavery was a sin to God and that the only was to relieve this sin was to end slavery and give blacks freedom and equal rights which is also another reason why he’d support my reformer because Truth was an equal rights activist. Another reformer that would support mine was Garrison because not only was he an abolitionist as well, he supported women being apart of the anti-slavery movement.
I think one reformer out of all the reformer I met that may not support my reformers goals is Dr. Sylvester Graham because his goals were very different and off the topic of my reformers cause, and they have nothing in common or anything of their reforms that relates to one another. Graham was of the temperance movement and stressed personal health, vegetarianism, and bathing among other things. One fun fact about Graham is that he created the Graham cracker, which was made to help digestion back then.
Throughout researching Lyman Beecher, I learned most about just how many organizations he either participated in or created. Such organizations include the Lane Theological Seminary, of which he was the president of at one point, the American Bible Society, American Educational Society, American Sunday School Union, American Tract Society, and American Society for the Promotion of Temperance. While many of our views don’t align, I still would likely agree with his ideas of temperance if he was alive today. While the enjoyment of alcohol has been burned into the American mind practically as a right, I think the limitation of drinking it would improve our society as a whole. There are many Americans who abuse alcohol as it could easily cause them to injure themselves or someone else through their drunken actions. These people, however, do not make the majority by any means. The introduction of a full out prohibition would be be too far too fast, and would become a limitation on our rights. The promotion of temperance, in its meaning of limiting (at least certain) alcohol consumption would likely have no negative outcomes, and may show signs on positives in the long run.
Catherine Beecher, being the daughter of Lyman Beecher, would likely support her father’s goals. Lyman and Catherine were both involved in education in their lives also. Lyman Beecher was the president of Lane Theological Seminary, and Catherine was a women’s education (and overall rights) reformer. Neal Dow would have been another person that would support Lyman Beecher’s goals of temperance. Neal similarly to Lyman, believed that alcohol was the cause of many problems. Neal was mainly involved in the creation of the Maine Temperance Union. In ideology, it appears that Neal was more of a prohibitionist, therefore wanting an outright ban on alcohol.
Samuel Morse would not support Lyman Beecher’s views of antislavery. This is due to Morse himself being pro-slavery. Orestes Brown, as a Catholic and advocator of Catholicism would not support Lyman Beecher, and Beecher was Presbyterian and more importantly, a anti-Catholic. Although these two people would not agree with Lyman Beecher’s views, there were certainly more reformers who disagreed, likely in small details, with Beecher’s views as he had views on a vast array of topics from slavery, education, temperance, religion, and many more.
1. Before I had conducted any research about my Antebellum Reformer, Ralph Waldo Emerson, I had learned about him and the Transcendentalist movement in English Class. We extensively studied his literary work and the profound effects it had on today’s literature and the deep meaning behind it, but we never studied his effects on the public and how the public viewed him. What I learned about him during the time I researched him, I learned that he believed in Abolition and Women’s Suffrage. He was an avid Abolitionist and was a high-ranking member of the New England Women’s Suffrage Unit. I think that if Emerson existed today, he wouldn’t be an abolitionist, but he would strive to attain equality, as an activist. Since I question some of the motives/actions of the 3rd wave of the Feminist Movement and other activist groups, I don’t know if I could agree with him unless he did not partake in these actions.
2. There is no doubt that Emerson would agree with Henry David Thoreau the most out of any other of the reformers. They were both in the same Transcendentalist club that Emerson founded. They were both avid Transcendentalists, writing many essays, pamphlets and books about there experiences in Transcendentalism. Emerson was Thoreau’s hero and role model throughout his life. He looked up to Emerson and based his ideals off his. He couldn’t have agreed more with anyone else, because they were fighting for a cause, while Emerson and Thoreau were reforming American literature.
3. There were no reformers I met that I thought Emerson would disagree with. Everyone I saw was either a Women’s Suffrage activist of an Abolitionist. There was not one person I saw that I could have possibly disagreed with. Everyone I met seemed to have the same views, abolitionist thought the same as the other abolitionist, Suffragettes thought that women should be equal in the same ways as other Suffragettes. Emerson strongly believed and strived for the equality for all humans, including immediate emancipation for all slaves. So did most others that I met, leaving me with no opposition to any person.
Thomas Skidmore, my reformer, was a labor organizer from the early 19th century. I learned heavily about his history in politics and his goals for the advancement of workers. He created a New York Workingmen’s Party which helped fight for 10 hour work days, an abolition of debtor prisons, and effective mechanics’ lien laws. Skidmore was also an advocate for land redistribution, and because to his beliefs we as considered a radical. Due to that, in 1829, he was ousted from the party that he had started. It’s a difficult question to ask if I would agree with Skidmore today. Most of his goals are outdated, we now have 8 hour work days, no debtor prisons, and worker lien laws, but his general attitude for the advancement of workers is something I agree with. I am questionable about the effectiveness of land redistribution in the modern day because of the change that property has to one’s life now if far less than in the early 1800s. If he changed his policy to still fit in character, but be more relevant for today, we’d probably see someone along the lines of Bernie Sanders or Elizebeth Warren, who I can see myself supporting. If Skidmore adapted from today’s problems, I could see myself supporting him, if he had well thought out plans, because of wanted for the empowerment of everyone, not just the elite.
Of the reformers I met, two of them we support my reformers goals. The first one, and arguably the most confident supporters of Thomas Skidmore, would be Sarah Beagly. Both of them were labor organizers who fought for a 10 hour work day, and both sought for safer working conditions for workers. They were both fighting for the better working conditions, they’re only differences being Beagly’s concentration towards women in the workplace, as well as their differing methods of action, Skidmore’s being more involved through political organizations, which was also derived from the differing opportunities of their genders. The other reformer Thomas Skidmore would agree with would be Robert Owen. Both of these two men were deeply concerned about the differences between those who own property and those who don’t. Their division comes in the form of their response to the problem. Skidmore advocates for the government to confiscate all lands, and then redistribute the land evenly to all citizens (no matter race of gender) as private property for the remainder of that person’s life. Owen goes towards the opposite direction and calls for a total abolition of private property whatsoever. Both of these men see and care about the same problem, they just have different views on what to do about them.
The person Skimore would most likely disagree with the most is Samuel Morse. These two New Yorkers are the personification of opposing sources of power. Morse is a wealthy inventor who is also increadably xenophobic, Skidmore on the other hand derivse his power through the support of the working masses, working masses who would most likely be immigrants. Skimore’s political career was happening in the largest American city, at the height of the Second Wave of Immigration, most of these immigrants were Irish, and would later become laborers in the cities. Therefore, Thomas Skidmore would be fighting for Immigrants during his years as a labor organizer, which comes directly into conflict with Morse’s xenophobia.
My reformer was Frances Ellen Harper who was a poet and author who wrote about abolitionism, temperance and women suffrage. She was born to two free blacks in Baltimore, Maryland in 1825. She was orphaned at the age of three when her parents died and were raised by her maternal aunt and uncle. Her uncle William Watkins taught her in his school for black children and influenced her political, religious, and social views. She had to flee the state of Maryland when they initiated the fugitive slave law, which caused her to become more dedicated to the abolitionist movement. In 1854, she delivered a public address on “ Education and the Elevation of the Colored Race” which led to a two-year lecture tour in Maine for the state Anti-Slavery Society. She was the first African American female author to publish a short story, “The Two Offer” in 1859. I would definitely support her if she existed today due to her belief in equality for everyone.
A reformer that would match my reformer’s goals the most is William Llyod Garrison. Garrison was an extreme abolitionist who also believed women should have equal rights to men. He fought avidly for the freedom of slaves and for women to be more included in society and giving them their natural rights. He founded the Anti-Slavery Society and wanted the Union to dissolve due to the slavery issue. He also created his own newspaper to openly talk about his dislike for slavery. Unlike many of the reformers they might have been abolitionists, but they didn’t believe in the equality of women. Theodore Dwight Weld, David Walker, and Fredrick Douglas all were abolitionists but didn’t have an opinion on women’s equality. Many of the reformers didn’t have an opinion on the subject of slavery including Dr. Sylvester Graham, Horace Mann, George Ripley, Lyman Beecher, Dorthea Dix, and Thomas Skidmore. Margaret Fuller fought for women’s equality and education, but was only anti-slavery and didn’t contribute much to the cause due to her heavy work on the women’s suffrage. None of the reformers I meet were pro-slavery, but many believed that women’s place was not outside the home.
I learned a lot about my reformer. A lot involving his past and how he was a slave who got free. Somethings that I didn’t know was that he was helping teach slaves how to read or that he was taught to read but the slave master’s wife until his master said he couldn’t have lesser anymore. And after that other saves had helped him read better. As he got older he started to show the other slaves to read properly. There is also something else that when he was a slave he fought back against the one they called the slave breaker and I thought that was really interesting because after he had fought back the slave breaker had let him alone. I think that really started to show he will fight back.
2)well honestly I would support most of them but one that I really would support is sojourner truth. She was a slave too just as frederick had been. So it gives her a better view on all the hardships she has faced during that time now she can try to put a stop to it. I don’t really know but I kinda think that being a slave before hand helps y’know. It opens eyes a bit more you could say. She didn’t have to stand up to it but she did. And i see that as a special quality that she has from being a slave at one point in time. She had the same ideals as my reformer.
3) The reformer that I would not support is,samule merse. He was pro slavery and thought that blacks needed to stay slaves. I strongly disagree with him because it’s wrong to have people as slaves. Black people are still people just with a different skin tone not a lower life form. Just people the same as whites. He didn’t see the world the same as the abolitionist and wanted the world to stay the same and not change. It was a change for the better and I am glad it happened. He also did not like immigrants coming over and just wanted to get rid of them too. But you still have to look at everyone as just people no one is different.
Before the speed dating project, all I knew about Samuel Morse was that he invented the Morse code, and was responsible for making communication much easier through his invention of the electromagnetic telegraph. After doing my own research, I was surprised to learn that he was; pro-slavery, a painter, a nativist and anti-immigrant, and that he ran for mayor of New York. Morse was pro-slavery, believing it was “sanctioned by god,” and would write many letters to the New York Observer promoting the continuation of the industry. He also wrote letters encouraging American citizens to be more nativist and reject catholic immigrants. He ran for mayor of New York under the nativist party, but only got a measly 1,400 votes. Finally, in his early life he was a painter, and while painting a portrait in the capitol, he received news by letter that his wife had died. Infuriated by how slow the news had come, he was inspired to create the telegraph so no one else would have to deal with the same heartache he had. I would not agree with Morse because he believed slavery was sanctioned by god and didn’t like immigrants.
Samuel Morse’s beliefs and values don’t really match up with anyone I talked to during speed dating, he was pro-slavery and anti-immigrant. The majority of people who I talked to were either abolitionists or temperance/transcendentalists. The only thing that is even close to a similar value is between Morse and Horace Mann. Horace Mann believed in public education, and Morse disliked the idea of Catholics having their own private schools, however Mann believed education should be free for all children, while Morse was against Catholics as a whole, and wanted them removed from the country.
Two reformers who do not agree with Morse’s beliefs would be Frederick Douglass, and William Lloyd Garrison. These two men were both avid abolitionists. While one was a freed slave and the other was a relatively well-off white man, they both felt strongly that no person should be enslaved, regardless of race, gender, or age. Again, Samuel Morse claimed slavery was sanctioned by god and had a place in american society. On the contrary, while Morse was writing articles for slavery, William Lloyd Garrison was writing articles for “The
Liberator,” his anti-slavery abolistionist newspaper. Frederick Douglass wrote his auto-biography and detailed how poor the conditions really were as a slave on a large plantation. Both these men were responsible for raising awareness and pushing the agenda out to more and more people that slavery was an evil plaguing american society, and had to be stopped. Morse would have strongly disagreed with both of them.
Over the course of this project it was very interesting to see the duality of a person. My reformer was Catharine Beecher Stowe, who is known for being an educational reformer and establishing several schools over the course of her life. Beecher spent her entire life learning and teaching and was a strong believer in equal education for both genders. While she did believe in equal education, Beecher was not a supporter of female suffrage and disagreed with many female reformers over that very idea. I think this belief was probably the result of growing up in the time that she did. While there was a handful of suffragettes and others who encouraged women to play a larger role in life, much of the U.S. was still against equality for both women and other races. Beecher’s family might’ve also impacted the way she thought, although much of her family were reformers. Beecher’s ideas were conflicting, why would you give women an education if they’re not going to leave their house? But she clearly believed in them, as she wrote several lectures and essays on the topic and wasn’t afraid to share her ideas. Personally, I do not think that if Catherine Beecher existed today I would be able to be a supporter. While I am definitely supportive of women obtaining an education and admire her strength in opening several schools in such a harsh climate, I don’t think I would be able to get past the fact that she didn’t support women leaving their sphere of domesticity. Education is one of the best gifts of modern day society, and I’m so grateful I’m given the chance to get one for free. While I understand living in the nineteenth century and being confined to a certain set of ideals, Beecher’s do not transfer to the modern day at all and she makes it very hard to agree with her.
Catharine Beecher’s ideas about suffrage prevented her from being a reformer that many agreed with. Her ideas seemed conflicting, so often only certain aspects of other reformer’s ideas matched up with hers. One of these reformers was Robert Owen, a textile factory owner and an educational reformer. Owen was very adamant that all races and genders have an equal opportunity to obtain an education, similar to Beecher’s ideas about abolition and women’s education. Beecher was an abolitionist, and while she wasn’t as encouraging as Owen in women’s roles outside the home, she was supportive of them becoming teachers. While Owen was supportive of women having a life outside of the home (unlike Beecher), their educational philosophies are very similar.
Many of the female reformers that I met would disagree with much of Catherine Beecher’s philosophy. While they all agree that women should be given education opportunities equal to men’s, they also believe in women’s suffrage, while Catherine Beecher wholeheartedly disagreed. As her many lectures and essays support, Beecher was against any kind of women’s suffrage other than their right to an education. Mother Ann Lee, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Lucy Stone are some of the few reformers that Beecher might’ve disagreed with the most. Ann Lee could’ve been considered a radical at the time and was even the founder of a religious group, the Shakers. Beecher grew up in a Calvinist and Presbytrerian home, her father an influential and celebrated preacher in the Second Great Awakening. Beecher, who practiced the religion for her entire life, would’ve been intolerant of Ann Lee’s philosophy, as was the religious climate at the time. Elizabeth Cady Stanton could be credited as the leader of the Women’s Rights Movement in the United States and was a feminist leader, abolitionist, and social activist. While the two women would have agreed with each other on abolition and equal education, Beecher was so innately against female suffrage that it might have made it impossible for them to get along. Beecher also placed such an importance on female education because she believed that it would benefit women in the instruction of their own children. There is a similar issue with Lucy Stone, where they would have agreed about abolition and education, but disagreed about suffrage. Stanton and Stone placed such a high importance on female suffrage as leaders of the movement and Beecher was so against women leaving the domestic sphere that it is very likely that they wouldn’t have been able to get along. Catharine Beecher, while still being considered one of the great feminist icons of the time, had strict ideals that she didn’t stray from which resulted in many people at the time disliking her. From the people in Cincinnati, who disliked her for her abolitionist views, to the suffragettes who would’ve disliked her for her more traditional views, Beecher was often met with disdain.
For the speed dating project I researched Ralph Emerson and I learned a lot about him. During the time where many people believed in predestination thinking your actions will not impact whether or not you go to heaven, Emerson was one of the first people to question that belief. I learned about Emerson’s transcendentalist movement, which influenced people to look inside themselves and use the natural world to connect with god. If this took place today I don’t think I would be a supporter of his movement. I like the ideas of the transcendental movement rethinking predestination but I feel like there approach is too hippie. There are some transcendentalists who spent months in the woods alone trying to become for connected with god and the world. A reformist that I met that I think agrees with my ideas is henry Davis Thoreau. Thoreau was also a transcendentalist thinker like Emerson so I think they would have similar beliefs. Thoreau and Emerson’s were was usually grouped together as some of the biggest transcendentalist reformers in the 19th century. Later in Emerson’s life he also became an abolitionist. He was quiet at first about his beliefs but ended up making a statement to the public about how he believes that there is nom place for slavery in The United States. But Emerson thought the only wat to achieve this was through moral agreement and not militant actions. There is not reformer that I talked to that Emerson would totally disagree with. But I do think Ralph Waldo Emerson would somewhat disagree with Horce Mann. Transcendentalists put a big emphasis on making decisions based on how you feel rather than scientific knowledge and what is taught. So Emerson may disagree with Mann because Emerson may not value education as much. Some people who opposed Emerson where the people trying to push the importance of some of the older more traditional religious beliefs. Some critics said that what Emerson was saying was trying to remove god as a central figure.
My reformer was James W. Barker, I wasn’t able to learn a lot about him but what I did find out was pretty interesting. I found out that he ran the know-nothing party in the 1850s. Before that, he worked in the private sector and became a bit wealthy. I also learned that he left the party in the late 1850s and actually went on to support Abraham Lincoln when he ran for president. I couldn’t support him if he lived now. He was part of the know-nothing party which meant he was a nativist and though natives were far inferior to native-born Americans. I disagree with that idea for multiple reasons. I don’t believe anyone can be inherently worse because they are not a native-born American. I also know the good things immigrants have done in the U.S like start companies and other important things. If the ideas of nativists were true that wouldn’t be possible or at least as common as it is.
The reformer that would support my reformer’s goals the most would be Millard Filmore. He was part of the know-nothing party and was also a nativist. Therefore he also didn’t like immigrants and he wanted them out of the country. That means he would definitely support the goals of James W. Barker, tying to keep immigrants from entering the country. It’s also not just a hypothetical because they were both part of the same party which means they literally supported the goals of each other and would agree on a lot of issues, specifically immigration which was a big part of the party’s ideology.
I belve that henry Thoreau would oppose the goals of my reformer. Henry thoreau was a trancedentalost which i think is the main reason he would diagree with the goals of James W. Barker. Trancedenatalists belived that mankind was good by nature and that there were intuitive moral truths. This would disagree with the idea that immigrants are inherently inferior or bad. He also probably wouldn’t have like my reformer because Henry Thoreau didn’t like the wealthy and before me reformer was a leader of the know-nothing party he became wealthy in the private sector.
While researching my reformer, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, I learned that not only did she believe in women’s rights but she led a lot of the woman suffrage movements and conventions. For example, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were the two women who came up with the idea and held the first Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls. At the convention Stanton wrote the Declaration of Sentiments herself. Also, in 1869 Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony founded the National Woman Suffrage Association. I think that if Stanton lived in 2019 I would support her because she wanted equality for everyone, African Americans and women. Many people today think that everyone should be equal but not many people would fight for change as Elizabeth Cady Stanton did, and would if she were alive today.
Lucy Stone is one reformer that I think would work well with and support Elizabeth Cady Stanton. Stone was an advocate for women’s rights and also involved in the American Anti-Slavery society. Lucy Stone fought for women’s rights by refusing to take her husband’s last name and attending the Woman’s Rights Convention in Seneca Falls which Stanton held. Another reformer that also supported my reformers goals was Lucretia Mott. Both women were strong advocates for women’s suffrage and active abolitionists. Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton actually did work together several times in the past. They met each other at the World Anti-Slavery Convention in London and both women were denied entrance because of their gender. After leaving London, Mott and Stanton decided to hold the Seneca Falls Convention together when they were back in New York.
One reformer that I don’t think would support Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s goals was Catherine Beecher. Catherine Beecher was an education reformer who was anti-suffrage. She believed that men and women were on earth for seperate reasons and women didn’t have a place outside of the home. Elizabeth Cady Stanton fought for equal rights for both men and women and believed that women could do anything that men could do. Because of these significant differences in beliefs I don’t think that these two women would have supported each other in the past.
1)The thing I learned the most about my reformer Samuel Finley Breese Morse is that being an inventor was not his biggest preoccupation and that it was hard for him to get credit for his invention, the telegraph. Originally, Samuel F.B Morse was an artist, and not an inventor. He went to yale university for a short time, but spent most of his time studying at an art school in London. The majority of his life, he wanted to be and was a painter and never intended to become an inventor, until he met with the inventor Charles Thomas Jackson ands got the idea for his future invention, the telegraph. The other thing I learned about him is that after he finished making and building a lot of telegraphs, companies and countries around the world refused to pay him due royalties and other inventors took credit for his work. He had to fight hard to get credit for the telegraph, and eventually had to take the case all the way up to the supreme court of the United States of America, in the O’Reilly v. Morse court case. The Supreme court ruled out that he was the first person to make a single circuit battery powered telegraph. If Samuel F.B. Morse existed today in 2019, I would support him and his invention if there was no internet or phones because the telegraph was a revolutionary invention, which helped America and other countries to develop by making communication faster and easier.
2) Samuel Morse was an inventor and painter, and I think almost all reformers would support him, his art, and his invention of the telegraph. Morse was also anti-immigrant, especially german and irish immigrants. Even if he did not do anything big against immigrants, he might support other nativists like James W. Barker and Millard Fillmore.
3) I do not think any reformer that I met with would be against him inventing the telegraph, and I did not meet any reformers that were against people that were anti-german and anti-irish, so I do not think that any reformers would be against Samuel Morse.
1. While doing this project on Dorothea Dix, I learned most about how she began to support the prison reform. She first obtained the ideals while she was traveling through England and heard of Philippe Pinel and William Tuke. When she was teaching a Sunday school class at the prison, she saw the horrible conditions of the prisoners, specifically the mentally ill and became inspired to change that. She ended up creating so many mental institutions. I also learned that she was an advocate for women’s rights to education. This was something that I did not know when I started this project, as she is much more famous for her creation of asylums. As I researched more and more, I became more aware of her impact on the reform of women’s education, as well as her impact on the prison reform.
2. Out of all of the reformers that I met, I think that Dorothea Dix would mostly get along with Sarah Josepha Hale because of the similarities in their ideals. Sarah placed a huge emphasis on women’s education, and throughout Dorthea’s life, so did she. They also both faced hardships toward the beginning of their lives. Both of them were women who faced discrimination against them, for their gender.
3. Dorothea Dix would disagree with the ideas of David Walker and William Lloyd Garrison. Dorothea was against abolition because she believed that white people were superior to African Americans. She thought that there was no way that there could ever be a society in which they could live in the same area. She supported the American Colonization Society and wanted to send all of the slaves back to Africa. David Walker wrote a 70-page appeal about how African Americans should have full rights to citizenship. They had pretty much complete opposite ideas, and would not get along. William Lloyd Garrison was extremely against the idea of antislavery and only believed in abolition, specifically. He wanted a prompt end to slavery, which was the opposite of what Dorothea wanted, which was gradual emancipation of slaves, and sending them back to Africa, little by little.
My reformer was Lucy stone. Stone was an active abolitionist as well as a woman’s rights supporter and advocate. Stone organized the first national women’s rights association in Massachusetts. She also was the co-founder and president of the American women’s suffrage association which fought for women getting the right to vote. She started the Women’s Journal which was a newspaper that not only spoke out about the need for political equality by publishing speeches, conventions, and debates that related to the women’s suffrage but also published short stories, columns, and poems to appeal to less radical feminists. Stone was also an active abolitionist and gave lectures about anti-slavery and its importance for the American Anti-Slavery Society. Stone was constantly breaking social and political barriers as a woman. She kept her maiden name after she married and she was also the first woman in Massachusetts to attend college and get her bachelor’s degree. I support Lucy Stones’ movements and beliefs. I myself am A huge feminist and I constantly support the fight for equality for women as well as challenging the social stereotypes. One of my aspirations is to be on our supreme court. In my opinion, our supreme court doesn’t have enough women and I intend to work as hard as possible to achieve my goal of making our supreme court more equal.
The reformer that would support Lucy Stone the most would be Margaret Fuller. Stone was born in Massachusetts, she was one of the few girls who received a very extensive education. Fuller also was an active feminist and fought against the cult of domesticity, as well as being the first female editor of a major intellectual journal. She wrote Women in the 19th century which became a feminist classic being controversial against marriage and the idea of the femme covert much like Stone keeping her maiden name to challenge the idea of submission. Fuller also hosted conversations that discussed changeling and increasing women’s role in society.
The reformer Lucy Stone would not match with would be Bringham Young. Young was a pro-slavery which is opposite fo stone who was a strong believer in anti-slavery and abolition. Young used the bible to justify slavery, they argued that black people were the descendants of “servant of all Servants” (the curse of ham) and therefore were cursed to be slaves. Lucy stone being the abolitionist she was, would strongly disagree with Young’s intense study of the bible and support of slavery. Stone lectured about the importance of anti-slavery as well as supported the 15th amendment which gave the right to vote for all colors, races, and previous conditions of servitude, which Young would strongly oppose. Stone was also excommunicated by her church for speaking out about anti-slavery and women’s rights. Young, who was a Mormon and believed strongly in the study of the bible and the teachings of Jesus Christ.
1) My reformer was Margreat Fuller. She was a huge women’s rights activist of her time, but what I found most interesting was her relationship with her father, and how it tied into her ideas about women’s rights. She grew up very intelligent, all thanks to her father. It is said that she was reading and writing by the age of four, but no matter how extradortany she was, her father always looked down upon her. He was always disappointed in her gender and made sure she was aware of it. Later in her life he was often gone on business, but would make sure she kept up with her studies. They would write back and forth, and she would always fill him in on everything she has learned, but it never seemed to be enough for him. I would be able to support her, she always wanted equal opportunity for men and women. She wanted everyone to see how smart a women could be when given the education of a man. Even today men and women are not created equal, but we have come a long way since the 1800’s, and I think Margaret Fuller would be proud.
2) Sarah Grimke, Frances Ellen Harper, and Robert Owen. All three of these reforms agreed with the equality of men and women. Robert Owen was pro child education, which is one of the things Margaret Fuller fought for. Fuller wanted all women to be Educated, and set up meetings where women could ask her questions, and Fuller would educated the person on the subject. Frances Ellen Harper was an abolitionist, but also was one of the first black female published author of her time. Her book was written about motherhood, which Fuller only experience for a short time before her untimely death. Sarah Grimke was also a female activist, and spoke about it on many different occasions. Her speeches were often very radical due to her deep hatred for sexist people. I believe that these three reforms would support Fullers ideas about equal rights for men and women, and the opportunity that all women should be educated.
3) Lydia Finney, and Orestes Brownson wouldn’t be good matches for Margaret Fuller. Finney saw that for women to be acceptable for a man she to retain her purity. She saw the women needed to be a certain way to please a man, and that goes strongly against Fullers ideas of equality. Fuller didn’t believe in having to be a certain way to please a man, thats where Finney’s ideas clash with Fullers. As for Orestes Brownson, the two of them wouldn’t get along due to religious beliefs. Brownson was a strong believer in Catholicism, and even made it his mission to convert people around the country. Fuller was not a big fan of religion because it often saw women as temptation, or the lower gender. She thought that most religions were sexist. That’s why Fuller wouldn’t get along very well with Brownson
While researching my reformer, Sarah Bagley, I learned about her efforts to fix the conditions of labor work for the Lowell girls. She fought for less hours in a day, and to make working in a factory safer. She accomplished these goals by gathering other Lowell Girls in protest of the industry, she even published a magazine to spread the word of the issues. She moved away from her family so that they could make her own money, just to find out that the living conditions were harsh. She was shocked and wanted to do something about it, this is what drove her to do what she did. To help herself and others. If this person was around in 2019 I would have her support, her impact on the world created safe working spaces and an average work day. I think that everybody should support the 10 hour work days instead of 14 that she wanted, and the safety in offices and factories that she made a priority. Also a big thing she fought for was the wage gap, which especially today is a big topic. There are many things going on right now that address the unfair payment between men and women.
Somebody that I match well with is Sarah and Angelica Grimke. They are women’s right activists who were anti-slavery and were some of the first people to belibe in things that others didnt understand yet. Just like Sarah Bagley, they were supporters of women’s rights, and were making a difference in things that society wasn’t even second guessing yet. Another person that I pair well with is William Llyod Garrison. He was involved in the women’s rights movements, but was mainly an abolitionist. He is not my best match, but they agree with each others point of views and approach them the same ways. Therefore, these people would most likely agree with my reform movements and support women’s rights and their opinions.
There are many people that did not have the same opinions with me. This is most likely because of the time period, and because it was just becoming known that it was an issue, so there were many people still on the fence. For example, Lyman Beecher. He worked in a blacksmith and didn’t understand the harsh conditions of a factory job, this was one of his leading opinions on why he would not support the movement. Another person that probably would disagree with my views is Brigham young. He had 55 wives this shows that he probably didn’t respect women or their views very much. So in conclusion, these people would most likely be against my women’s rights reforms because of their lack of respect for us, and their original views on society.
For the speed dating activity, I studied Frederick Douglass. I found out a ton of new information about him and I learned some interesting things. One new fact I learned about Douglass is even though he escaped, he went back to his owner’s house and bought his freedom anyway. He was one of the few black men who were able to read and write. Many people tried to assault and hurt him when he was talking about anti-slavery movements. I also learned that he was assaulted in Indiana and broke his hand, it never properly healed and he couldn’t use it properly. He was the type of person I would support because he was trying to make the world a better place. He was also impressive because he managed to have so many accomplishments while facing so much criticism due to his skin color. He was a man who had good morals and had the intentions of a positive and honest leader.
All though I only met a few reformers when we did speed dating, one in particular stuck out, David Walker. He was born a free black man and helped abolish slavery. I think he would support Frederick Douglass since they have so much in common. They were both free black men who were literate, he opposed blacks being sent to Africa and he was an abolitionist. Walker also wrote an appeal to the government wishing for the end of slavery and discrimination. Both of these men had many of the same moral and they would definitely support each other.
One person Frederick Douglass wouldn’t support was William Lloyd Garrison. William Lloyd Garrison was an abolitionist for slavery yet he lost supporters because of how radical he was. He also was in the American Colonization Society who supported sending blacks back to Africa which was something Douglass opposed. The society’s goal was eliminating the number of freed slaves in America and Garrison was apart of it. He eventually left it to start his own anti-slavery society which fell apart due to him not taking political action. Douglass and Garrison had the same ideas yet they took two different approaches to reach their goal.
I learned a lot about my reformer throughout my speed dating experience. I played the role of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, who was one of the leading feminists of the time. She was an abolitionist and she was commonly known for writing the declaration of sentiments as well as organizing the Seneca Falls Convention which was the first women’s rights convention in history. She was a mother of seven children as well as one of eleven children. If Stanton was still alive today I would definitely support her attempts to make the country a better place for several reasons. I would mainly support her because she had amazing ideas and was not afraid to voice he opinion even if she knew it would put her in danger because she knew it was right and best for our country. She also dedicated so much of he life and time into advocating for women and I think we would be able to trust her as a leading figure.I think that out of all the reformers I met throughout the speed dating, Lucy stone would most likely support my reformers goals the most. I think this because Lucy Stone shared many ideas that were similar to Elizabeths, for example stone was also a women’s rights activist. She was a co founder of the women’s rights movement and also helped to organize the first women’s rights convention. Stone was also the first woman to attend college and wanted women to have a good education equal to men. As well as meeting people who agreed with me throughout the speed dating, I also met several people who I disagreed with. One person whos ideals would not align with mine the most would probably be Catherine Beecher. Catherine Beecher did want women to be educated but she still believed that women should stay out of politics and didn’t want them to have the right to vote. Also, she thought that women were meant to be educators, was anti semitism and opposed abolition. These ideals do not align with Elizabeth Cady Stantons feminist ideals because she did not want women to have equal rights with men unlike Stanton.
1. The reformer I researched was William Lloyd Garrison. I learned that he was involved in the abolitionist movement and the women’s suffrage movement. Garrison argued that women should be allowed to hold leadership roles in abolitionist organizations. He also thought that the Constitution was a pro-slavery document. One of Garrison’s main accomplishments was his newspaper, The Liberator which became successful in spreading his abolitionist beliefs. Some of his other successes included creating both the New England Anti-Slavery Society and the American Anti-Slavery Society which both advocated for the immediate emancipation of slaves. If Garrison were alive today, I would support him because he was passionate about abolitionism and the women’s suffrage movement which are two things I believe are important.
2. One of the reformers that would support William Lloyd Garrison’s cause is Angelina Grimke. Angelina Grimke was born into a slaveholding family and she grew up to be an outspoken abolitionist and advocate for women’s rights. She launched her career by traveling around the country with her sister to speak out against slavery and those who did not believe in women’s rights. She was also a source for Uncle Tom’s Cabin which was an anti-slavery novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe. Garrison and Grimke would be compatible because they had extremely similar beliefs and advocated for the same movements. Another reformer Garrison would be compatible with is Angelina’s sister, Sarah Grimke. The two sisters worked together and shared the same beliefs towards abolitionism and women’s rights which is why Garrison would be a good match with either of them.
3. Because Garrison was a strong believer in the abolitionist movement, he would not be a good match with Samuel Morse. Morse was a defender of slavery and thought that it was part of God’s plan for mankind. Since Garrison was working towards the emancipation of slaves, they have completely opposite beliefs which would cause them to be a bad match. Another reformer that Garrison would not be a good match with is Brigham Young. Brigham Young was working to regulate and legalize slavery which would cause him to not be a good match with Garrison, who was an abolitionist.
I learned that my reformer, Solomon Northup, was originally a free man whos was kidnaped while looking for a job, and sold down south into slavery. I learned that he did not like slavery for many reasons, and the bigest one being that it changed his life forever. He did many things in his life to help abolish slavery. Some of his actions were the book he wrote, Twelve Years A Slave that showed people the horrors that slaves went through on a daily basis. He also gave talks around part of the country, and helped other slaves escape through the underground railroad. If this person was around today, would support him. I would back him up because I agree with most of what he believed in and I think that he can be a trusted source because he lived through it.
The reformer that I met that I would support the most is Sojourner Truth. I agree with her because her beliefs in abolishment and support for women’s rights. She has been through slavery, so I feel she could give true information that I could support. I like that helped during the civil war. In a time of need she stepped up to help the country despite the fact that she is a woman and black. I support these because I also belive that slavery should not exist and that women deserve and should have the same equal rights and opprotonites as men do.
One reformer that I met whose goals I do not support, is Robert Owen. His socialist like ideas are what throws me off. I don’t agree that everyone should get equal compensation, and that we should have wealth equality, because it has never worked in our past, and many times people get lazy and do little to no work, but still get the same compensation as those who are working hard. I also disagree with his “utopian community,’ because it sounds like it could be very easily taken advantage of and turned into a labor camp were the people living, and working there would be like slaves.
Although I’d already known the general facts about my reformer Sojourner Truth, I was able to find out more specific details about her eventful life. While researching I found that she was not only very abused as a slave, but she had been sold three times apart from her family by the time she was 13. Since her first language was Dutch she had to learn English for the first time after the first time she’d been sold. I also learned that after Truth escaped slavery she found out that her five year old son had been illegally sold to a man in Alabama. When she found out she took the issue to court, and was able to get her son back. This was one of the first cases where black woman successfully challenged a white man in a United States court. Another thing I learned was how in 1844 Sojourner joined a community called the Northampton Association of Education and Industry. This was a group that was founded by abolitionists, and where the people there talked about reforms. Me, not only being black, but a female as well, would unhesitantly support Sojourner Truth if she was here today in 2019 because I agree with all of her causes and arguments. Out of all the reformers I met, I believe reformer Frances Ellen Harper would support Sojourner Truth’s goals the most. This is because they are very similar people. Just like Sojourner Truth, Frances Ellen Harper was a black woman who was an abolitionist, she wanted equality for both genders, education for African-Americans and she also worked with other African-Americans for abolitionist causes. I was fortunate enough to not find any other reformer that did not really support Sojourner Truth’s ideals. The only person I could think of was Horace Mann. Unable to reap the benefits of education because of her gender, race, and status, Sojourner Truth was a big advocate for education reform, for African-Americans in particular. Even though Horace Mann did want to make education available to all black people, he was unsuccessful. I didn’t find this alarming but Mann still was deemed as the ‘father of education’, and he did make the base of our modern day school system so I feel that because of his status and popularity, he could have made Afican-American education more achievable with a little more of a fight.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that my reformer was one of the most influential abolitionists to have ever lived. That reformer was David Walker, and he became one of the most powerful figures during the antebellum era. He lived as a free African boy, and instead of not doing anything to fight against the South’s unjust slavery, he sought an education and moved to Boston, Massachusetts. His works such as a document he called David Walker’s appeal influenced many southern slaves, and built up his image as an abolitionist. If David Walker was alive in this time period, he would definitely be someone who would find many supporters and followers, including myself. He was a strong speaker who could stand his ground in the face of life threatening danger.
One reformer whose ideas nicely aligned with David’s went by the name of Sarah Grimke. Grimke was a female abolitionist who has taught her slaves how to read and write. She is also an influential writer, and speaks to people through her writings, which were destroyed by white southerners because they didn’t agree with her. Grimke was also threatened to be arrested by southerners, but she didn’t flee, she stood her ground and continued to fight for abolition. They are both similar because they are not afraid of life threatening danger, and are both happy to stand for what they believe in. since they are both abolitionists, strong leaders, and brave warriors, they would have gotten along extremely well if they had both ever met one another.
Out of all the many great reformers I met during the speed dating, I think David Walker goals didn’t really come together with Samuel Morse. Morse was another reformer who has done many great things such as invented the telegraph, however one idea of his completely disagrees with David. Morse believed in the benefit of slavery, and goes so far as to defending it against abolitionist ideas, arguing that slavery was actually highly profitable and necessary for the financial wellness of the country. David is an abolitionist, so you can probably see why these two would not like each other if they ever met.
My reformist was Lydia finney,Lydia was very against prostitution and started a society to stand up against it called American moral reform society, where she tried to stop the action of prostitution. I would definitely be able to support her if she existed now in 2019. I agree with her notion that prostitution is not the way women should be treating their bodies, and that men that take place in the event of prostitution are commiting such a wrong. As a women i can strongly agree prostitution is terrible and needs to be stopped all together, so i would stand by her ideas. A reformist I met that I believe would support Lydia the most would be Theodore Weld, he was a public speaker in the second great awakening and Lydia’s husband Charles finney was the one who inspired him to become part of the Anti slavery society. I think he would support her because he was a public speaker and stood up for what he believed in, black peoples rights, As Lydia stood up for what she believed in, women’s rights. I believe they were both strongly opinionated people with similar beliefs. Samuel morse would not support Lydia he loved slavery and believed that god wanted it . Lydia was very religious and would utterly disapprove of what Samuel stands for. Samuel also did not have a strong view on women’s activism , Which Lydia dedicated her life too.
During the beginning of my research on Dr. Sylvester Graham, I had known nothing about him. After researching, I knew almost everything about him. In his early years, he became a reverend but barely preached. What I learned most during my research was that he was mainly an advocate of personal health than anything else. He did have a little part in the temperance movement but was mainly involved in fighting for better human diets and the maintaining of personal health/hygiene. Not only did Graham fight for temperance and health, but he also spread the word of vegetarianism. He believed that meat was one of the main problems plaguing America. As a result, Graham traveled around the country giving speeches about his “Grahamite” lifestyle and trying to tell people to switch to vegetarianism. The Grahamite lifestyle consisted of taking cold showers and cutting out meat and alcohol from the human diet. Something brand new I had learned was that Dr. Graham was actually the inventor of the graham cracker. He had created the graham cracker with unsifted wheat flour (graham flour), another one of his inventions. The purpose behind this was that graham had seen meat and the horrible flour in bread as the two main roots of the unhealthy diets plaguing Americans, so he decided to make a solution himself. I would support Graham in 2019 mainly because he saw that unhealthy diets came from alcohol and flour as a result of how Americans were living and felt a need to fix it. Not only did Graham see the problem, but also invented healthier solutions like the graham cracker and graham flour that were better alternatives for American diets.
I believe that Sojourner Truth would support Graham’s goals because they both had one thing they were fighting for in common: temperance. Much like Graham, Truth was one of the main advocates for temperance. She believed that alcohol was one of the main problems in America and did not only have a toll on the person themselves, but also the people around them, like family and friends. On the other hand, Ralph Waldo Emerson would not support his goals mainly due to the fact that he had the exact opposite beliefs than Graham did. Emerson didn’t approve of Graham’s cracker and diet, and thought it was completely bogus. Emerson often called Graham the “poet of bran and pumpkins” and “Dr. Bran, the philosopher of sawdust pudding.”
My reformer was William Lloyd Garrison, and what I learned the most about him is that he was an abolitionist. That means he wanted an end to slavery. Another important fact that I learned from him was that he originally joined the American Colonization society. This society wanted to send all African Americans back to Africa. Once Garrison realized that they only wanted to reduce the amount of African Americans in the country, he quite and created his own society called the American Anti-Slavery society. He even wrote a magazine called The Liberator. In this magazine, he would share his messages and beliefs about slavery to the world. Many abolitionists viewed the union as anti-slavery so many liked the union, Garrison was diffrent. He viewed the constitution as pro-slavery and whished for the union to be dissolved. At this day in age, I do see Garrison as a good man and someone I would listen to. He believes in equality for all and believes that everyone deserves the same amount of respect as one another.
A reformer that Garrison would agree most with would be David Walker. They both were for the abomanation of slavery. They both wrote to express their ideologies about slavery and how it is bad. He would say that Americans were hypocritical. He said this due to the revolutionary war and slavery. He wrote in his pamphlet that Americans fought agaisnt the british for their freedom and equal rights, but then when the war is done, there is slavery. The slaves feel the same way as the colonists did when they had no representation, freedom, or equal rights. Both Garrison and David Walker were abolitionists and fought for the end of slvery. Walker used some violence from time to time which was the only dislike Garrison had on him. If Walker used his words more and his fists less, then Garrison and Walker would have gotten off greatly and would have probably worked together on The Liberator or Walker’s pamphlet.
A reformer that Garrison would not get along with would have to be James Barker. James Barker was a Nativists, which meant he did not like immigrants. -he also ran the know nothing party, and supported Abraham Lincoln. He believed that America should restrict and limit immagration as more immigrants keep arriving and taking jobs from U.S citizens. Why I believe Garrison and Barker would not get along is because Garrison was an aboloitionists and he wanted the end of slavery. If there was an end to slavery, the free African Americans would have to find work. If they found work, it would mean that there were fewer opportunities for the white citizens to find work. It would be as if more immigrants arrived, which is what Barker is against. This is why I believe that they would not have gotten along.
1.)My reformer was Horace Mann, the most prominent education reformer in the 1800’s. I learned that he was one of the first people to push for the establishment of normal schools, which were schools where teachers were trained. I also learned that he pushed for women to play a big role in teaching. If Horace Mann was alive in 2019, I would still support him with maybe a few tweeks to his ideas. I think the reason why I would support him in 2019 is because he was very big on public schools being funded by the state and federal government and not small local districts. This way of funding is still how our education system works today. Also, I agree with him that public schools shouldn’t revolve around religion, especially today because of how diverse students are. So his almost 200 year old ideas hold up to today, which is why I’d support him. The thing I’d change is that women wouldn’t be the only teachers, because that’s kinda sexist. However, I don’t know to what extent he wanted women to be in the teaching force.
Horace Mann is truly one of a kind in what he did to reform the U.S.
2.)I think the best match for Mann is Robert Owen because after his career in the U.S. with Utopian communities, he returned to the U.K. and supported co-educational schools, so schools with boys and girls. Robert Owen is the best match for Horace Mann because he is the only other reformer that supported schooling reform and Owen has no major disagreements with Horace Mann.
3.)The worst match for Horace Mann would be Orestes Brouston. Brouston was a very strict catholic, which implies that he would support a Catholic education. This counters Horace Mann’s goals because Horace Mann didn’t want any religion in public schools. Also, Orestes Brouston tried to convert as many people as possible to Catholicism, which I think Horace Mann would disapprove of because it would bring religion to public schools. Other than that, I think they would somewhat get along because Brouston was a writer, which goes along with Horace Mann’s goal for refined education
As I was researching my reformer, Margaret Fuller, I learned many things. She was a transcendentalist, an advocate for women’s rights, a journalist, an editor, and a critic. So she had a few talents. In 1837 she attended Emerson’s Phi Beta Kappa address at Harvard and was inducted into the Transcendentalist movement. In 1839 she began editing The Dial a new quarterly (newspaper) for Transcendentalists. A month after this she started her first Conversation, at which Boston women, and some invited men, could meet to discuss society and women’s rights in society. In 1845 her biggest accomplishment a book titled “Woman in the Nineteenth Century” was published it is regarded as one of the first works on feminism in the U.S. and as one of the most significant documents on feminism.
Her main focus was not abolition, but she did find parallels between women’s rights and the abolitionist movement, and encouraged those in the abolitionist movement to also support women’s rights. She lived a nontraditional but important life and paved the way for many feminists to come. In 1850 she died in a shipwreck, but was missed, as she was so influential. If she existed in 2019 I could definitely back her case. She was for women’s rights and there are many problems nowadays that she could help with. She would likely help with the pay gap, inequalities in sports and work, and the unfair treatment of women when it comes to abortion just to name a few. The reformer that I met that would support my reformers goals the most was Henry David Thoreau. He, like Margaret Fuller, was a transcendentalist. He also wanted everyone to be equal, this includes women. Lastly he was anti slavery and Fuller also supported that movement. The reformer that I met that would not support my reformers goals was Catherine Beecher, an education reformer. She was anti suffrage, which completely contradicts Fullers whole case. She also believed that women did not have a place outside of the home, which was the very thing that my reformer fought for. Fuller believed that women could do anything men could.
I did not know much about Orestes before doing this project on him. while researching about him I learned that he was extremely religious in his life. Having most of the important steps in his life be directly because of religion. I was expecting to find a little more outlooks on slavery because of the time period he lived through, and the conflicts that slavery caused with religion. Also going into this the only things that I knew about Orestes was that he was a writer and had some very long books. In most of his life he would spend his time writing and trying to convince other people to join him in the same way of thinking. Orestes believed in the strength of the Catholic church and the power that it could produce in America. Throughout his later adult life he would spend all of his time trying to get people to convert to being catholic, throughout this process it would lead him to have important decisions with important people such as president Buchanan. I would support this person in 2019 if I was apart of the catholic church, he would be an important beacon of writing and intellectual guidance in the catholic church. 2. Many reformers were part of the religious movements during this time period, but generally the catholic church was looked down upon more than other churches. Any reformer that supported the temperance movement, and some other transcendentalist or writers such as George Ripley who was also a social reformer, Ripley also formed the Utopian community Brook Farm and was a journalist associated with transcendentalism, and for some of Orestes’s life could have likely been a close friend. I think that any of the radical abolitionists would not have gotten along well with Orestes, because of the fact that Orestes didn’t comment on slavery, as much in his catholic teachings. Orestes was not radical with his teachings at all compared to people like William Lloyd Garrison, whose ideals were extremely radical. These reformists would likely also be against the strict catholic religion that Orestes preached about.
All I knew about Millard Fillmore before I started researching him was that he was one of the most hated presidents in American History and that his haircut was dumb. I only chose him because he was one of the only people I knew on the list. I never knew he was a staunch nativist until I saw his name under that category. I also learned that the reason he’s so universally hated nowadays is because he passed the Fugitive Slave Act in 1852, which required that all escaped slaves, if captured, were to be returned to their masters and their suffering. Since he himself was a Whig, this was really out of touch with his political party, who cut ties with him when he ran for Re-election. If Fillmore was around in 2019, I definitely wouldn’t support him due to his pro-slavery actions and nativist stance.
The only person I feel Fillmore connected with was James W. Barker, portrayed by a picture of James Buchanan and Ben Glick. Barker headed the Know-Nothing Party, which Fillmore was a big supporter of, and even ran for reelection with them in 1856. There weren’t any people I talked to that shared Fillmore’s views on slavery, and the only one to share his nativist views was Barker.
I don’t think there was anyone that wasn’t James Barker that wouldn’t support Fillmore’s “reformations”. Frederick Douglass, Angelina Grimke, and Ralph Waldo Emerson are abolitionists, and wouldn’t appreciate the Fugitive Slave Act, Fillmore really liked his alcohol, so Lyman Beecher isn’t a friend either. Margaret Fuller and Dorothea Dix are smart, so I don’t think they’ll get along with Fillmore. John Humphrey Noyes is happiest when divorced, and I think Fillmore looks for a committed relationship since his wife died.
The one thing I found most interesting about Samuel F.B Morse is that he was a very creative thinker, and he was very smart despite his political beliefs. Samuel Morse was an Insanely succsessful man. He invented the telegraph, which he also used to create Morse Code a system of dots and dashes that is still used by the military today to communicate. Along with his successful inventions that transformed the country he also was a very successful artist. With all of his success you would think a man with that level of intelligence would not possibly believe that there was a conspiracy with Irish and Catholic immigrants to take over the county and destroy our liberties. It is insane to me that someone that smart could possibly see the Know
Nothing Party as the answer to this Nations problems. I could not possibly support Samuel Morse if he was around today because I do not share his anti immigrant beliefs.
Very few Antebellum reformers would support Samuel Morse’s goals due to his racism and Anti Immigrant stances. One of the very few Antebellum reformers that would support his goals was James W Barker. James W Barker along with Samuel Morse was involved in the Know nothing Party, In fact James W Barker led the Know Nothing party. Barker stood to make it take 25 years for an immigrant to become a citizen of the United States, he also stood to prevent immigrants from obtaining the right to vote. With there shared anti immigrant stance I believe that Morse and Barker would get along great, and they would both support each others political goals.
Along with almost every AnteBellum reformer Solomon Northrup would definitely not support Samuel F.B Morse goals. Solomon Northrup was a free born African American from New York. He was a huge Abolitionists after he was led out of town and drugged and then sold into slavery. He spent twelve years as a slave. Northrup wrote the classic book that was turned into a movie “12 years a slave”. Northrup beloved that all humans are created equal, and that is how they deserved to be treated despite race or ethnicity. Morse does not share this belief as his political beliefs, are that immigrants should not be treated equally as “Native born Americans”. Northrup definitely would not support Morse’s ideas because they involve racial and ethnic inequality.
I portrayed Lucretia Mott through this activity. During this speed dating event I met many different reformers that were influenced by the Second Great Awakening. I met a few people that I was compatible with and shared the same ideas, but surprisingly I met no one with complete opposite ideas to me. Something I learned about my reformer during this process, is that not only I, but many other women had a lot of confidence to speak out about the injustices they believed were in the country. And, not only did women just talk about their injustices that directly affected them, but they talked about others. For example, slavery and abolition movements. Lucretia Mott helped form the Anti-Slavery Society of Philidelphia, this is just one of the examples of women fighting for a injustice that doesn’t affect them first hand. If Lucretia currently existed in 2019 I would support her ideals, because all of her beliefs are similar to mine. And even though slavery is gone, I do think that all people of different sexes and races should be eqaul. She also believed that women’s role in their communities needed to be changed, and I firmly believe that also need to change today. Out of all the people that I connected with, Franes Ellen and I had the most in common. She was a reformer that wanted all races and genders to be equal. Also during lectures when she was speaking out, she would refer to a lot of my ideals. Lastly, she joinded the Anti- Slavery Society I helped form in Philidelphia. Even though I did not meet any reformers that were completely unlike me, Henry David Thoreau was the farthest from my ideals. I made this decision because every other reformer I met supported equality for all races and sexes, but Henry more supported individualism and finding yourself in nature. Even though Thoreau might have been an abolitionist like me, he did not directly address that in his work as much as he did his other ideals, like being your truest self. Also, one similarity that I noticed throughout all of the reformers during the Second Great Awakening, many of them originated or lived in Massachusetts, which I found interesting, and possibly shows the spread of similar ideas in one area.
My person I researched for the speed dating activity was Sojourner Truth. I learned that she had been a strong believer and preacher about women’s rights and abolition. She herself had been born into slavery and sold four times, and also had to watch most of her kids be sold away. I learned that she ran away shortly before slavery was abolished in New York. What I really didn’t know about her before I started researching was that during the religious awakenings in the 1830s, Sojourner believed she had been called upon by a Spirit, telling her to preach and share the truth. After this, she changed her name from Isabella Baumfree to Sojourner Truth. Throughout her lifetime, she also helped enslaved African Americans escape to freedom, which put her freedom, and even her life at risk once again.
I could definitely get behind Sojourner Truth in 2019. I don’t think exactly what she preached for would be a prominent, such as thoughts of abolition, but for sure her stances on women’s rights if they were a little more modernized. I’m sure if she was alive in 2019 she would fight to stop racism, instead of purely abolition.
The reformer that I believe Sojourner could connect with the most was Sarah Grimke. In her lifetime, she spoke out for women’s rights, just as Sojourner Truth did. Sarah was also given a personal slave when she was younger by her father, a wealthy plantation owner. Sarah thought that enslavement was wrong, and wanted to free her slave as soon as possible. Sarah’s thoughts on slavery also match with Sojourner’s.
One reformer that wouldn’t support my goals was Lyman Beecher. He didn’t believe in equality between any groups. He believed that it was wrong for women to preach, even for the ideas he agrees with. During the Second Great Awakening, he preached for emotional attachment to religion. And unlike Charles Finney, he believed that it was wrong for women to preach in public. This would go against Sojourner Truth’s ideals because she preached for women’s rights and abolition as her job for her whole life.
My reformer was the abolitionist Theodore Weld. I learned through my research that Theodore Weld was married to Angelina Grimke, a women’s rights activist. Theodore Weld believed in equality for African Americans and women, as did his wife. He created many things that represented equally such as an integrated school that included all races and genders and also an anti-slavery group. I would support this Theodore Weld if he were to exist in 2019 because he would stand for equality for all people. In todays world you still see discrimination against many minority groups. Theodore Weld would be fighting for almost the same thing he did almost two-hundred years ago with equality and equal opportunity for these groups. I believe that Weld would have a big role in feminism. I would have confidence that Theodore Weld would change the inequality issues we are currently experiencing.
I think that Fredrick Douglas would support Theodore’s visions and goals for this nation. Fredrick Douglas was also an abolitionist who believed in equality for women and African Americans. Fredrick Douglas attended the Seneca Falls Convention advocating for women’s rights. He also stood up for slaves and spoke around the world for the rights of these African Americans stuck in the terrible institution of slavery. Fredrick Douglass’ writing inspired many abolitionists and women’s activist, as did Theodore Welds literature. Fredrick Douglass and Theodore Weld supported many of the same beliefs and had common goals with the abolishment of slavery and equal rights for women
Brigham Young would strongly oppose the ideas and thoughts Brigham Young was a supporter of slavery and thought slavery was a good that was needed in the country. This view clashes with the beliefs of Theodore Weld that slavery should be ablolished and is inherintly bad. Brigham Young was also sexist. He did not think that women were equal to men and thought that men were the superior gender. He thought that women could not do much. Brigham Young practiced polygamy and had over fifty-five wives in the span of his lifetime. Young and Weld had many differences in their beliefs and would not support each others views.
Whilst researching my reformer, Henry David Thoreau. I learned that he is very passionate about Transildentilism and was a strong abolitionist he supported the idea of civil disobedience.
Also, I learned Thoreau was lucky to find a job teaching at the Concord Center School, but he resigned after just two weeks because he disagreed with the school’s policy of using corporal punishment on its students. He feels that understanding one spirit is the most fulfilling thing one can accomplish and was a transcendentalist. In July 1846, the sheriff arrested and jailed Thoreau for his tax delinquency. Someone, probably a relative, anonymously paid Thoreau’s taxes after he had spent one night in jail. This convinced Thoreau to write his famous essay, “Civil Disobedience”. Thoreau’s minor act of defiance caused him to conclude that it was n.ot enough to be simply against slavery and the war. A person of conscience had to act. In “Civil Disobedience,” he proclaimed an activist manifesto. The lasting impact Thoreau’s writings and ideas have on the world are enormous. He still affects and changes the way we choose to live today. His ideas of getting by with the least amount of stuff as possible and being self-sufficient. His writings impacted such other figures as Gandhi. So yes I think today in 2019 his ideas and writings still have relevance. His message is truly timeless.
The reformer that most nearly had the same goals as mine was George Ripley born October 1802 Massachusetts. George Ripley was a transcendentalist believer like Thoreau. Ripley believes that the American world was torn by economic and social classes. He created Brook farm in an attempt to live without the division of social classes and economic burden. I think that Henry David Thoreau might also entertain the idea of a Utopian society such as Brook Farm. George Ripley was also an abolitionist and was against the American Mexican war of 1848. As well as being against the war I think Ripley and Thoreau would get along with Emerson. Thoreau’s friend and supporter of his Walden journey.
The reformer that Thoreau would get along with the least would be Sylvester Graham. He wanted to convince that his invention was revolutionary. Thoreau was against people forcing their ideas and way of life on others.
As looking in depth of Theodore Dwight Weld, I learned a lot about what type of man he was. Theodore Weld grew up in a religious household in the North. He then became an abolitionist when he visited the South for the first time, where he was appalled. He knew he had to create a change and end slavery. He believed that slavery was a sin to God. Charles G. Finney inspired him to become part of the Ant-Slavery Society. He then thought that he needed to start this fight against slavery in the west, since they were still developing and he wanted to be able to persuade their thoughts on slavery before the South did. He also was a very talented writer, he created many pamphlets and books that persuaded many to believe in the abolitionist side. He then went to small towns around the country and gave speeches persuading more and more to become abolitionists. One of his books were able to make an appearance in the famous anti-slavery novel, Uncle Tom;s Cabin, by Harriet Beecher Stowe. If Theodore Weld was still alive today, I would be a supporter. I agree, that all African Americans deserve to be free and equal to whites. Theodore Weld had no fear to give speeches in front of large audiences, even when angry slave owners would rant back at him. This would be a type of man that I would support.
One reformer that would support Theodore Dwight Weld’s goals would be Frances Ellen Harper. Frances Ellen Harper also was supportive of abolitionism. She was against slavery and would deliever public addresses about freeing African Americans. She was also a very talented artist, as she would visit the south and create sketches of free blacks. Lastly, she joined and supported the Ant-Slavery Society, the same one as Theodore Weld was a part of.
One reformer that would be against Theodore Weld’s goals would be Samuel Morse. Although Samuel Morse was known for the invention of the telegraph, he was also pro-slavery. Samuel Morse published a pro-slavery tract in 1863, during the civil war. He argued in support to the institution of slavery. Therefore he would not have been a good match for the reformer, Theodore Weld.
Before this project I had know nothing about Mother anna Lee. It seemed odd to me that I never really heard about. Before I started learning about her I thought she was just a regular white lady that wanted to fight for women’s rights. But as I started my reading I began to see that she was some that had values and never let anyone try to change what she believed she thought what she thought and didn’t care what anyone had to say. I learned that mother anna lee was someone that didn’t let anyone change their point of view on anything. From my readings I am learning she had certain beliefs that many Americans at that time didn’t agree with but that didn’t stop her. Yes I would support her, my parents have some of the same teachings. So I kinda am learning some of the things she believes in. My parents have taught me on how to be big on faith and to be pure as long as possible. So but some are view I kinda wouldn’t agree with in this day an age like her talking about her kids died because she gave her body away. I personally think that is over extreme like the death of your kids not because you gave your body away. But I guess at that time her ignorance was alright because she didn’t know the studies how kids were dying a lot or not even making out the mother. So I guess I can give her the benefit of the doubt on that topic. I would support Frederick Douglas. Not because of his skin color but because of his values. He promoted women’s rights. Did alot of stuff for the anti slavery movment. He believed people should come to gather. I would not support Catherine Beecher. Because her view were odd to me she was a woman but didn’t support women doing anything out of the house. It seemed like she wanted to imaptct evrything but womens rights she wrote books about slavery that shocked the nation. Did stuff with education.
What did you learn most about your reformer? Explain w/ specific details. Also, would this be a person you could support if he/she existed in 2019? Why or why not?
I learned that Angelina Grimke was raised with slaves and cake from a rich southern family, but even though she even had her own slave growing up, she grew to hate slavery because she saw the effects of it, which was not normal for other southerners of the time period. I also learned that she received death threats for her strong opinions and her speeches. I didn’t know that she was the first woman to address a legislative body, after having spoken in front of the Massachusetts legislature. I think that she would be a person I supported if she had existed in 2019 because of her many accomplishments for the things that I support. she was an abolitionist and supported equal rights between races and genders.
Which of the reformers that you met would support your reformer’s goals the most? Why?
I think that the reformers I met that would support my reformers goals the most would be Sarah Grimke because she was my sister and agreed with most, if not all of my ideas, and she was also strongly opposed to slavery and supported women’s rights. Also I think that Angelina would agree with Elizabeth Candy because she was a strongly opinionated abolitionist woman who also wanted to break the social stereotypes against women and advertised the idea of women’s voting rights. Angelina also supported the women’s right to vote and believed women should have a say in politics because they are equal to men.
Which of the reformers that you met would NOT support your reformer’s goals? Explain why.
The reformers that wouldn’t support Angelina Grimke’s goals would be Bringham Young, because he supported slavery and used the bible to justify it, claiming slavery was a positive thing. He was a strong anti abolitionist and believed in the inferiority of women. Angelina Grimke, being a supporter of equal rights for women and African Americans, and strongly against slavery, would definitely not agree with Young.
From all the information I gathered about my reformer i really learned that she had a strong belief in her religion and ideals. She moved from Manchester, England to New York and brought her shaker religion with her, she also took up the act of celibacy which from reading about it takes a lot of hard work to be fully dedicated to. She thought that this act would being her closer to God and i do think in some way her belief of celibacy could be from her many failed pregnancies which learning about was unbelievable. People also believe that she was the female embodiment of god’s nature whole christ was the masculine. I could also tell she had a really strong belief because she never broke from her religion even when many took it upon themselves to use violence against her. One time while doing one of her tours she was dragged off by her horse and badly abused. She was even jailed many times and through those occurrences it seemed like she never broke to ever doubt her beliefs. I think that Angelina Grimke would support my reformers goals the most because she Grimke herself had religious and feminist ideals that she wanted to spread to shape her followers. Grimké wanted to allow the ability for women to vote and equal rights. I think that Ann lee would have supported these ideas since it would also benefit her religious ideals. Angelina Grimkealso seemed to never give up on her ideals and was very strong to try to advocate for women’s rights in a patriarchal society. Just like Ann lee they both went through many trials and errors of trying to spread their ideals freely to their community. I think the person who wouldn’t support her goals is Lyman Beecher. He wasn’t didn’t support women preaching even though his daughter gained fame for her ideals on slavery. He also was married 3 times and Ann lee was married but she felt as marriage was unfavorable which some have believed is one reason she went on her path of celibacy.
My impression of my reformer before this project was that he basically dedicated his whole life to transcendentalism. While this was true, I learned that he used the teachings of transcendentalism and started the idea of “civil disobedience”, which was another term for non-violent protest. He used this idea to protest not one but multiple different issues in America. He was most known for being against slavery and war. Furthermore, some causes like women’s rights that he did not directly advocate for were also implied within transcendentalist teachings. I also learned that one of his colleagues that joined the movement after him (Margaret Fuller) took the ideas of transcendentalism and translated it into the context of women’s rights. Therefore, Thoreau also indirectly supported the women’s rights movement by being a transcendentalist. Finally, Thoreau and Emerson were one of the first people to advocate for saving the environment. In conclusion, Thoreau did not limit himself to one type of reform.
If Thoreau was a person in 2019, I would only partially be able to support him. Some of his beliefs that I could support in 2019 would be civil disobedience, individual journey to self-discovery, equality for each individual, and protecting the environment. For example, being able to discern your own thoughts from the political clamor that we face today is a necessary skill. On the other hand, I would not be able to go to the same lengths as Thoreau in terms of rejecting industrialization as well as not relying on anyone else for food and shelter. I believe that in 2019, it is very difficult to live a lifestyle where you sustain yourself solely through farming and building your own houses. In this day and age, finding and obtaining undeveloped land at an affordable price is difficult in itself. Secondly, individual farming does not generate as much revenue as it did before due to the rise of huge food corporations who pretty much own all the farmland. Additionally, many do not possess the skill set to farm or build their own cabin. Finally, it is near impossible to live without exposure to the internet or phones in 2019. I can conclude that “self-discovery” can be achieved through different means than when Thoreau was alive. Instead of reliance on oneself for all goods, being knowledgeable about where you are buying from, what you see on the internet and in government can be a more viable way to find your own beliefs. This can allow one to try to disentangle themselves from the corruption that comes with being an active participant in the economy.
Ralph Waldo Emerson would probably be the reformer that agreed the most with my reforemer’s beliefs. In fact, they were close colleagues and he was his mentor. Both preached about transcendentalism: relying on your own hard work, trusting in your beliefs, finding yourself in the beauty of nature, and rejecting industrialism. Thoreau would probably disagree most with Robert Owen, who turned to industrialism to find the funding for his education reforms. Although Thoreau was not against education and was very well educated himself, he was very opposed to industrialization and felt that it lead to the corruption of mankind. Thoreau would probably advocate for other means of raising funds for schools.
I learned about the reformer Angelina Grimké and her sister first in eighth grade. Walking into this I had only recognized her name and suspected she dealt only with women’s rights. When I began my research I learned she was an abolitionist before she was passionate about women’s rights, and that it was her experiences in speaking out for abolition that ruly led her to fight for women as well. I learned that she was married to another reformer and that she grew up in the south owning slaves. I had previously assumed she would’ve had to have been a norther to fight for abolition and that she never got married because she kept her last name. She is much more of an inspiration to me than I would’ve assumed before learning more about her.
The reformers that support my reformers views best would most likely be Fredrick Douglass, David Walker, Margaret Fuller, William Lloyd Garrison, and of course Theodore Weld. Although I am not aware of Fredrick’s and David’s views of women getting involved, I can infer that the two of them would support Angelina because they are abolitionists. I also suspect that Maragret Fuller would support Angelina. Maragaret was a femenist, and althought she never spoke out about slavery like Angelina did, she would’ve supported her speaking her mind and agreed with what she was speaking about. As for William Lloyd Garrison, I know the two of them had mutual support for each other because they wrote letters to each other and one of Angelina’s letters was published in his abolitionist newspapers. It is certainly hard to not add Theodore Weld to this list of supportive reformers as he was Angelina’s husband. They worked together on several influential works including “American Slavery As It Is”. He, like Angelina, was an abolitionist, and I assume he supported women’s rights because Angelina left the word “obey” out of her vows.
The only reformer that I suspect would not necessarily support my reformer would be Lyman Beecher. The other reformers I talked to, like Lyman, had ideals that didn’t contradict but also did support Angelina’s. The only reason I say Lyman would not be supportive was the backlash Angelina received from one of his relatives. Catherine Beecher criticized the Grimke sisters for not staying in their proper “spheres”. I am not sure if Lyman thought the same. However, because his reform movement was not very involved with abolition or women’s rights, I am not confident he would support her either.
While researching William Lloyd Garrison, the most glaringly obvious trait that I found was his ability to fight for his morals and be resilient when defending these morals. Garrison’s morals told him that slavery is wrong. Garrison was an immediate abolitionist and founder of the American Anti-Slavery Society. Garrison was often regarded as too radical and many of the more conservative members of the American Anti-Slavery Society left to found the American and Foreign Anti-Slavery Society. Garrison also created The Liberator, a pamphlet designed to speak out against slaveholders. Garrison was considered radical in his stances on women, government, and immediate emancipation. Garrison embraced the idea of human perfectionism and for him that included people of all races and genders. Garrison also was a believer in the Henry David Thoreau idea that if a government’s laws go against your morals, you have every right to rebel. Garrison even suggested Northern secession for he refused to work with slaveholders. Garrison burned the Constitution once to signify his feelings that the government was partially built on slavery and needed to change. I feel that I could support Garrison if he existed in 2019. I believe that Garrison stood up for what he believed in. He refused to go by the status quo and continued to be an immediate abolitionist in a time when immediate abolitionists were a minority. I also would be able to support his campaign for women’s rights along with that of abolition.
A reformer that would support William Lloyd Garrison is Frances E.W. Harper. Harper was a supporter of abolition, women’s rights, and temperance. Harper was an immediate abolitionist who sometimes lectured for her state’s Anti-Slavery Society. So, Garrison and Harper were both immediate abolitionists and supporters of women’s rights and temperance. The reformer that would least support the campaigns of William Lloyd Garrison would be Samuel F.B. Morse. Morse, along with being an inventor, was a fierce defender of slavery. Morse saw slavery as a source of salvation for black people. Morse felt that the institution of slavery was part of God’s plan for the world and Morse felt the institution beautiful non-negotiable. Morse further stated that it was sinful to oppose slavery. Therefore, while Garrison was an immediate abolitionist, Morse was an extremely strong advocate for slavery. The Second Great Awakening encouraged Garrison to embrace human perfection within black and white people while the awakening encouraged Morse to feel the need to defend slavery, which Morse thought was a doing of God.
I had no idea who Dorothea Dix was at all before doing this speed dating project, but I learned that she’s a pretty interesting person to learn about- specifically, I really enjoyed learning about all the hospitals and institutions she helped to set up for all the mentally ill. It was really cool to learn about because whenever I studied history, I never found a reformer that would help those who were mentally handicapped or anything along those lines. With that being said, if Dorothea Dix was still alive right now in 2019, would I support her? I most certainly would! In today’s society, it really seems like there’s still not a lot of help for mental health and mental disabilities, so when there’s someone out there who’s trying to help people with those kind of symptoms by opening hospitals specifically for mental health and disabilities, it’s really nice to see that be around.
Going off of what I just said, the reformer I believe that Dorothea Dix would be most supportive of (or at least agree with most) would be Sarah Grimke. Even though Sarah Grimke was focused on abolishing slavery and not helping those with mental disabilities in the case of Dorothea Dix, both clearly seemed passionate about helping those in need out. Especially in the time all of this was happening, it didn’t seem like there was a lot being done to prevent slavery from continuing, or to help those with mental handicaps. Therefore, these two women would have gotten along pretty well because of the causes they stood for and how they were helping them.
However, with every positive reformer, there has to be a negative reformer, am I right? In this case, the person Dorothea Dix would not be okay with would be Samuel Morse. Considering the fact that this man not only seems like a total (insert any insult you can think of) for “inventing” the telegraph, but actually stealing the idea from two different men, but he was pro-slavery. Therefore, he would not mesh well with someone fighting for a positive cause and not something problematic like slavery.
My reformer was Frances Ellen Watkin Harper. She was born a free black woman in Baltimore, Maryland on September 25,1825. Her parents both died when she was 3 years old, leaving her to her aunt and uncle. She grew up being educated at the Academy of Negro Youth that her uncle, William Watkin, ran. She stopped going to school at 13 years old and started working for a Quaker family, but kept writing. Frances became the first black woman to ever publish a short story. She wrote many poems that criticized the slavery institution. She became known as the “mother of African-American journalism”. She had a teaching career as well. She taught in Ohio at the school Union Seminary which was ran by an abolitionist, John Brown. Later, she herself became an abolitionist, traveling around the country lecturing on the behalf of the Maine and Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Societies. At one point, she joined the Underground Railroad and hosted runaway slaves in her home. During this she learned of Unitarian churches and later joined the first Unitarian Church of Philadelphia. On her journey, she also saw environments that showed mistreat towards the black women in some of the states. She co-created the National Association of Colored Women and joined the America Woman’s Suffrage Association. She was also a temperance advocate, even the director of the Northern United States Temperance Union. If I met my reformer in 2019, I would definitely support her. She did a lot of work for black women to improve they way they were treated in America, which was and is still needed in this country. She stood up and created a club specifically for black women. Even became a part of stuff that may not have even included her, such as the America Woman’s Suffrage Association, because she knew that it would help women like her to be able to get to the place white women would be one day if they succeeded in their movement.
During the speed dating event, I met 3 reformers that seemed to have the same goals as Frances. The first was Fredrick Douglass. He was a black man born a slave, but bought his freedom. He became an abolitionist, giving speeches to fight for the end of slavery. As well as a fighter for education for everyone, including women. He even attended the Seneca Falls Convention in New York. I also met Ralph Emerson, who was the creator of the Transcendentalist movement and had lectured around. He was a white man but he also supported the abolitionment motions. He was also a women’s suffrage fighter like Harper. Last but not least was Angelina Grimke. She grew up with her family owning slaves but later fought for the end of slavery. She wanted equal rights for all, black people and women. All three were dedicated to abolition and women’s rights like Frances was. One reformer I met was that wouldn’t have supported Frances’ goal was Lyman Beecher. He was also a Temperance fighter, but hated Unitarians. He refused to educate African-Americans and thought slaves should be shipped back to Africa. He also believed women shouldn’t have rights, which was a huge part of Frances’ goals, alongside her fight for abolition.
I learned a lot about his personal life such as his anti slavery views which i didn’t know when I read his writing. I learned Emerson’s background before he became a famous write he was, how he created his views, and how his views spread. It truly was an interesting learning about him becoming a famous writer and what he did to spread his ideals(transcendentalism) and how it became popular. I respected him for what he did after learning about him. When I first read his poems in Honors English, I just thought he was a normal old writer that was hard to understand,nothing special. This was clearly changed though when I researched him. If he currently lived, I would support him and his views in 2019. He’s an interesting person that’s against racism and has interesting views that I can align with.
Margaret Fuller was probably the most aligned with my reformer, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Margaret Fuller was practically the girl version of my reformer, she had very similar views. She was a transcendentalist, didn’t support slavery, and was an author. Her and Emerson also strongly supported their ideas and did a lot to get their ideas spread. Their ideas got spread the same way too, through writing. Both of them being authors constantly wrote and this educated the public about their ideas. They became major authors and were against slavery. She also was like Emerson where she didn’t really make her anti-slavery perspective clear because she was focused on spreading her ideas first. Her and Emerson are practically the same person, they are very similar in goals. The only difference is that Emerson wasn’t known to be a feminist, but he also supported feminist views!
A lot of the reformers supported my reformer(Emerson), but I believe one wouldn’t like him because he became rich. Thomas Skidmore, he didn’t really have anything against my reformers goals; however, I don’t think he’d support my reformer because of the fact that he was rich. Thomas Skidmore hated factory owners and aristocrats, Emerson wasn’t neither but he was rich because of the literature he wrote and the lectures he gave. Due to the literature and lectures, making him the most famous writer of the decade, he became rich. Thomas Skidmore would most likely not like Emerson because he became rich.