Overview

Between 1790 and 1877, American society underwent profound changes driven by migration, reform, war, and emancipation. These shifts redefined community life, expanded social movements, and changed the lives of African Americans, immigrants, and women.

Key Themes and Events

• Women's Rights Movement: The Seneca Falls Convention (1848) issued the Declaration of Sentiments, demanding suffrage and legal reform. Leaders included Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott.
• Abolition and Emancipation: Abolitionists like Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison led movements to end slavery. The Civil War led to emancipation and the 13th Amendment (1865), but social equality remained elusive.
• Free Black Communities: In both North and South, free Black Americans built churches, schools, and newspapers to promote self-determination and civil rights despite discrimination and violence.
• Immigration and Nativism: Influx of Irish and German immigrants spurred urban growth and labor competition. The Know-Nothing movement (1850s) reflected rising nativist sentiment.
• Urbanization and Reform: Growth of cities led to new social challenges. The temperance movement, prison reform, and efforts to improve public education all sought to address rapid societal changes.
• Impact of War on Society: The Civil War reshaped family life, labor, and racial dynamics. Women took on new public roles, and formerly enslaved people navigated a tenuous freedom during Reconstruction.

Quick Tip

Know the key figures and documents of the early women’s rights and abolitionist movements. Understand how social reforms were influenced by urbanization, war, and religion.