Reformation Towards Democracy

Reformation Towards Democracy

For a democracy to succeed, the society in question must be compatible with the idea of democracy. In a society deprived of morals, institutions of democracy would collapse, since democracy is dependent on the people. The United States in the early 19th century was experiencing a mild societal decline, which, if uninterrupted, could have had a detrimental impact on the nation. This societal decay did not go unnoticed, as can be seen in the cartoon “the Drunkards Progress. From First Glass To The Grave”. Those who took notice of this deterioration began to instigate large-scale reformations, most notably during the years 1825-1850. These reformation movements, including the Second Great Awakening, the campaign for women’s rights, and abolitionism, all helped to enforce and expand democratic ideals.

The religious reformations of the early 19th century, known as the Second Great Awakening, made for a more suitable climate for democracy. The increase in religious fervor allowed for otherwise hopeless people to become productive members of democracy, thus allowing for better representation from the people. For example, in an excerpt form 1834, Charles G. Finney describes “harlots, drunkards, and infidels” being awakened and converted. Such individuals before conversion would have most likely never voted or contributed to democracy in any fashion. The Second Great Awakening also brought about a multitude of new Christian denominations. To illustrate this, in the mid-1800s, one could have chosen between the Millerite tradition, Adventism, Mormonism, Episcopalian, Presbyterianism, or a throng of other denominations. One of the key ideals of democracy is freedom of the individual, and the fragmentation of religion sects offered more freedom of choice for the religious type. The Second great awakening also expanded democratic ideals by the Christianization of Indians. During the time period, scores of people packed their bags and headed west to preach their religion to the Indians. This in itself embodied the democratic ideal of manifest destiny, and it also introduced the idea of democracy to many Native Americans. While The Second Great Awakening was very controversial, the women’s rights movement was perhaps even more so, but just as ground-breaking for democracy.

The Women’s Rights movement marked a significant shift towards the expansion of democratic ideals. In the years following the writing of the constitution, people began to reinterpret the meaning of “all men created equal. Women of the era lashed out against the injustices society had placed upon them, slowing