Question and Answers
Question 1
The schools were seen as a mean to social advancement, tool for equality, and social stability vehicle that will help instill discipline among the students.
The proponents of public schools argued that it was a tool that would be used to bring about equality in the societies. This was to be achieved through bringing in children from different social backgrounds together to learn common values. Mann, a proponent argued that the institution would reinforce social stability by liberating students from their parents’ influences that failed to encourage discipline among them. The proponents believed that schools were important elements that would install discipline among the students and teach them some field skills that can be applied in the emerging industries (Foner, 464).
Opponents
The parents were used to having their children and objected to the idea to the children being taught by strangers’ lessons that the parents were used to giving their children. In the south, the schools were viewed as a threat to the social order coupled with limited resources. The movements gained momentum as it had support from the majority (Foner, 464).
Question 2: Plight of the mentally ill
In the pre-civil war period, the plight of the mentally ill was a burden to the families as they were forced to take care of their sick (Foner, 463-4). They used to place them in jails alongside the hardened criminals and debtors (Foner, 476 & 478). Later in the 1830s and 1840s, there were women led programs that resulted in the construction of asylums for the mentally ill in the societies (Rothman).
Question 3: Women Disabilities in pre-civil war periods
In addition to the freedom challenges such as slavery, women had additional challenges that were as a result of male supremacy world. They were expected to be subordinate to the husband and surrender their control and resources to men. They could not vote and men controlled the properties and children even after divorce. In challenging the status quo, they had first to overcome the supremacy on their husband and this posed great challenges (Boylan).
Question 4: Drinking as a sin
Drinking was a prominent feature where members had designated centers where they used to meet for drinks and political discussion. The protestants believed that individuals had the right to decide how the lead their lives and no individual had the power to instill their will on others. Catholics that came with the new German and Irish immigrants had a different view for the freedom. They had a perfectionism idea and believed that sinners should be banished from the societies. The Catholics had an opposing view and abhorred the protestant’s lifestyle. They believed that drinking led to lack of self-control and other vices, violation of Sabbath, and lack of true devotion the practice (Foner, 463).
Question 5: Other Pre-civil War movements
In addition to the religious, education and slavery reforms, there were other reforms that included the utopian, the shakers, the Mormon’s trek, Oneida, worldly communities and the Owenites. The central goal for all the movements was to bring harmony and allow the communities to live together. They were united along common activities such as farming, manufacturing and other roles and always strived to maintain harmony. Some arose from autocrat leaders while others were democratic and allowed consensus approach in the decision making (Foner, 456-461).
Works Cited
Boylan, Anne M. The Origins of Women’s Activism: New York and Boston, 1797–1840 (2002). Considers how middle-class urban women organized numerous associations for social improvement and thereby gained a place in the public sphere.
Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. W.W. Norton & Co, 2014.
Rothman, David J. The Discovery of the Asylum: Social Order and Disorder in the New Republic (1971). Relates the rise of prisons, orphanages, and asylums and their common characteristics.
