Reform Movements in America

A resource developed in partnership with the Library of Congress, asks how can citizens of a country affect change for the common good? The French commentator on American society in the 1830s, Alexis de Toqueville, observed that Americans are very quick to join together to promote whatever causes they favor, and there was certainly evidence around him. Reforms on many issues — temperance, abolition, prison reform, women’s rights, missionary work in the West — fomented groups dedicated to social improvements.

Students will reflect on the following questions:
What factors motivated antebellum reformers to take action?
What were the common strategies antebellum reformers used?
What did antebellum reformers achieve?