Social Activism In American Society

For the United States, the mid-nineteenth century is a time when social activism in American society is reflected in the writing. These writers were determined to change the way of life, if not for themselves, for someone else. Their writings would become incite to some of the deepest issues of the time. First, social activism in America is seen in the efforts of women to gain legal and social equality as citizens and as human beings in their private lives. Elizabeth Cady Stanton wanted to change the rights of the female population. In her Declaration of Sentiments, she wrote of the many faults in society and government that considered men were the superior to women. Sijourner Truth declared she too was a woman, in her writing, Ar’nt I

Thoreau refused to support the war with Mexico and in protest he refused to pay a tax, which is deemed illegal by the government. He believed the war to be unjust and stated that even though a law is a law it might not always be lawful. Sometimes we must do what we think is right in our own morality regardless of the

President Abraham Lincoln had many important documents one of them with was his, Address at the Dedication of the Gettysburg National Cemetery. The Gettysburg Address was a point made by the President to not only preserve the Union, but to create equality for all, which would lead to the disbandment of slavery. In Lydia Maria Child’s, Reply to Margaretta Mason, she also spoke of equality. She questioned why the treatments and laws for a person of color were so different from their white counterpart, especially when referencing the master and slave relationship. William Cushing, was also a firm believer in the fair treatment of all. In his work of, Slavery Inconsistent with Our Conduct and Constitution, he describes that every person who is under our government has the obligation to their basic human rights and that slavery does not fall within the lines of the Constitution. Finally, the works of Frederick Douglass come to mind. Douglass, being a former slave, has the most knowledge of that topic with his personal accounts in, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. He painted the picture of just how hard it was growing up a black child of the Confederate South. He was not allowed to know his own birthday as the white children were. He had to sneak and avert things as well people just to become educated. He