Test- FRQ Response

5. Did the era of reform increase or decrease the belief in and practice of liberty in American society?

The era of reform most certainly increased the belief and practice of liberty in American society. This is because people began advocating universal suffrage for everybody, including women and blacks. Also, the reform movements began to inspire pro-abolition sentiments throughout America. The right of liberty was beginning to include all the people of America, regardless of gender or color. 

Women's rights were strongly endorsed by many people in the era. The era of reform led people to believe in equality for men and women. Women were just as hard-working and devoted citizens to their country, so why should their rights be hindered? Women also played a key role in all kinds of reform movements, such as temperance, abolition of slavery, and prison reform. Therefore, encouraged by the reform movement, women decided to advocate reform for themselves; the same rights and liberties as men for women. Also the development of a unique American culture further catalyzed the intuition for creating a society that treated women as equals. This desire to seek an unique American culture was funded by the surge of nationalism also felt during the period. These nationalism sentiments also brought up the ideas of democracy which led people to rethink its basic ideas: liberty and equality. Did true liberty just include men? Were women not equals to men? These nascent thoughts were nurtured through the works of women suffrage advocates Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Lucretia Mott, Lucy Stone, and many others. The efforts of all these women led to the Seneca Falls Convention. Here, women sparked the modern women's right movement. The Convention opened with a powerful message, paraphrasing the Declaration of Independence by saying that "all men and women are created equal". As an interesting side note, a third of the attendees were men, indicating that the idea of women suffrage appealed to both genders. The work of these women began to show promise. For example. before the Civil War colleges began accepting women and some states granted women property rights after marriage. The belief and practice of liberty for women's rights was increased by the era of reform.

The era of reform led to a substantial increase in abolition awareness. This is because the Second Great Awakening was happening side by side with the era of reform. Therefore as people became more involved in Christianity, they realized that slavery was immoral, as implied by the Bible. This led to many newly religious people advocating abolition of slavery, especially in the North. William Lloyd Garrison was a radical slavery reformer and founded the American Anti-Slavery Society (AASS). Some of his Garrison's most key arguments were supported by religion. Due to the Second Great Awakening, Americans began to take these arguments based on religion much more seriously. The era of reform also provided many groups of reform. These different groups of reform mutually exchanged help in advocating each other's rights. For example, the women's suffrage movement supported the abolition of slavery and as a result, received help from the abolitionists. Some white Quakers also helped with the abolition movement. Other prominent advocates of the anti-slavery movement consisted of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman. Also during the era of reform was the American nationalism movement also helped Douglass and Tubman. Nationalism increased Americans to be unique in their literature and style of writing. For example, an idea emerging from the style of Romanticism encouraged realism through the use of local color. Both Douglass and Tubman were influenced because they frequently recalled upon vivid slavery experiences to illustrate their points at anti-slavery meetings. African Americans were now sowing the seeds to their liberty as the era of reform increased the thoughts of liberty for African Americans.

The substantial increase in American belief of liberty for all was driven by the era of reform. This is because numerous movements sprang up during the era, which at times even supported each other. For example, at the Seneca Falls Convention, many types of reformers gathered and not just women's suffrage ones. Abolitionists and temperance advocates also showed up and helped support women's rights. The era of reform contributed so much to this increase in belief of liberty because it changed the American atmosphere. The general feeling in America nurtured the growth of these movements as people were more religiously aware and proud of their nation, due to nationalism. The era of reform was the beginning of a new nation, one that truly upheld the principles of liberty regardless of race or gender.