Second Great Awakening Pros And Cons

Starting in the early 1800’s, a new wave of religious feelings and ideas were spreading through the United States. This time period was known as the Second Great Awakening, named after the original Great Awakening that took place at the beginning of the 18th century. With this new religious lense placed over American society, an urge to better life on Earth for everyone, primarily the disadvantages, through change was growing. First came the realization that schooling for the children of America was virtually nonexistent. To better this situation, Noah Webster created the American Spelling Bee which encouraged the younger generation to learn in a new, fun way. Also, the men and women that led the public school movement fought for a system that

Additionally, Horace Mann was a reformer who utilized his power as a senator to create a board of education and integrate a law that required children to attend school. Another movement that was developed due to the Second Great Awakening was one that cared for the mentally ill. Dorothea Dix was a reformer who noticed that the treatment of the those with mental disabilities inside prisons was disgraceful and shocking. To combat her new found realization, she wrote petitions and campaigned nationwide to spread awareness for her movement. Lastly, when reformers got wind that alcohol was causing widespread problems, they knew they needed to take action. With the launch of the temperance movement, an attempt to put an end to alcohol abuse was being made. Through Portland, Maine's mayor, Neal Dow, real success was made in the reduction of alcohol consumption and domestic

This development in technology had first started in Great Britain, but thanks to Samuel Slater the reproduction of english machines became present in the United States. With the leap from only trained professionals being able to manufacture goods to any man, women, or child being able to do the same thing made economic, social and technological changes in the US. Although agriculture still proved to be the backbone of the economy, the way in which farms were ran had adjusted. Rather than the farmer keeping a decent portion of their harvest, they opted to sell most of it in pursuit of more profit. Farmers were also adopting new techniques and new tools that increased production and decreased manual labor. Accompanied by the latest workplace, being the factory, social lives were changing. For skilled artisans, there jobs were being taken over by untrained workers because they were cheaper to pay and with the use of machinery, manufacturing became faster and easier. Furthermore, the lives of many girls were changing due to the recruitment of young women to move away and work in factories. Lastly, due to the Industrial Revolution, technological growth was at an all time high in America. With innovations such as the steam engine and Morse code, transportation and communication became much easier and more accessible. Without these novelties, the expansion of the US westward