Explore why Americans had an impulse to improve American society in the first half of the nineteenth century.
-In the Second Great Awakening came it influenced many Americans to want to live a life free of sins. They were encouraged to take a "better" path of life, for the same reason many Americans petitioned against liquor, since alcoholism was seen as a bad habit, or even a sin. With the idea of liberty and a life free of sins many others started to protest for their rights, for example: slaves started to fight for their rights, as women encouraged equality between men and women.
Explain the significance of the abolitionist movement to the idea of American Freedom.
-The abolitionist movement was significant to the idea of "American Freedom" because it contradicted the values enshrined in the Declaration of Independence. When the abolitionist movement started to spread many rose against slavery and slaveholders, and insisted in slavery being abolished and after the allowing of the incorporation of slaves as equal citizens. Slaves deserved their freedom since they had already been tricked into war thinking that they were fighting for their but they never received their freedom as promised. The abolitionist movement encouraged both whites and slaves to fight for their freedom as the lower class whites also wanted equality, they fought for the idea of having the same opportunities as the rich whites and the chance to succeed into the upper class.
Analyze the pros and cons of the colonization movement and and why many black were opposed to it.
-The pros and cons of the colonization movement. For example: when the slaves were led free it was under the conditions that they would return to their homeland, Africa, other slaves left voluntarily. Many slaves were motivated by the idea to spread Christianity in Africa or to enjoy rights that were denied to them in the United States. Other slaves who had experienced the "legal" slavery of the South, and the social slavery of the North left because they thought that they could never be free in the United Stated and that they would always be oppressed. Other African Americans opposed to the idea of colonization, in fact they claimed their rights as Americans, since the United States was their land of birth. The slaves that were against colonization insisted that they had no intentions in being removed from their present homes and have to start all over in another country.
Why was this a period of institution building?
-This was a period of institution building because with the idea of the Second Great Awakening everyone in the United States was encouraged to purify their society. This is where all the abolitionist movements came in everyone started to fight for their rights, women, slaves, and the lower class whites. This was a period of revolutionary changes that were suppose to lead to a country that would be free of racism and discrimination, and with equality.
How did the abolitionist movement and the women's movement influence each other?
-The abolitionist movement and the women's movement influenced each other because they were both fighting for their rights. Both were fighting for their freedom as well as their rights and their rights as of being included and considered as part of American society. Both fought to make their voices be heard.