The Antebellum Period that lasted roughly from 1825–1850 is an era known for its many reform movements and major transformations in American society. Prior to the popularity of reform movements in American society was the 1828 election in which Andrew Jackson became the seventh president. Jackson professed himself the “champion of the common man,” where the “common man” meant white men. Nevertheless, his presidency caused the development of a more popular mass democracy, or Jacksonian Democracy as it is commonly referred to. The westward expansion that occurred during Jackson’s presidency lead to a shift in America’s economical makeup from a mercantile/market economy to capitalism. This adjustment in the economy brought about the Market Revolution, which in turn had its own way of revolutionizing America. The …show more content…
Further, in 1848 women held the first woman's rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York to “discuss the social, civil, and religion conditions and rights of woman.” This convention was a big advancement for women; however, women were still ahead of their time and unable to secure their right to vote. Hence, utopianism, temperance, and women’s rights movements had a limited effect during the Antebellum Period. Next, as some movements were limited, there were additionally various significant reforms. The penal reform that took place changed who was being sent to prison and the conditions inside prison. Before Dorothea Dix became the spokeswoman for prison reform, the penitentiaries did not have an effective system. Thousands of people were detained in special prisons designated for people in debt (debtors’ prisons), and adolescents were sent to prisons, as well as people with mental disabilities. The younger men and women in prisons were unable to learn how to fix their wrongdoings or understand right from wrong as they had no chances to determine what correct behavior was. Thought to