John Winthrop's Antebellum: The City On The Hill

John Winthrop dreamed that America would become “The City on the Hill”, the essence of perfection that all nations would revere. As America grew, its society diversified and spread across the corners of the United States. This separation led to sectionalism and sharp divisions between common Americans, yet they were all still unified by the vision of John Winthrop’s utopia. Thus, many American’s sought to realize Winthrop’s dream by reforming society; correcting slavery, alcoholism, women’s lack of rights and a litany of other “impurities” during the Antebellum era of 1825-1855. Interest for reforms was generated by the pursuit of virtue and democratic ideals piggybacked on this surge of participation. Overall, the reform movements of the Antebellum

For instance, in 1841 Ralph Waldo Emerson lectured a Library association of Mechanic’s apprentices that “What is a man born for but to be a Reformer… a renouncer of lies; a restorer of truth and good, imitating that great Nature which embosoms us all...” (Doc 2). It is logical that Emerson, a 2nd Great Awakening lecturer, is promoting the values of reformism as being similar to spiritual notions of righteousness. Through preaching the value of reforms, Emerson is convincing the apprentices that participation in any societal-level reform elicits candor and goodness in the individual; serving as strong incentives to join a cause. Thus, Emerson directly disseminates the goal of attaining virtue as a primary motivation for people, especially the youth apprentices. Consequently, Emerson appeals to the audience with assurances of virtuous attributes. Furthermore, in 1846 Horace Mann applies this surge in interest for reforms to education, asserting that there is superior and universal law that dictates every human being, regardless of race or gender, deserves access to education and that it is the obligation of government to provide this (Doc 3). This represents an example of defending a tangible action with an extracorporeal force that sees the virtue in such an action. Mann draws on religious belief in a supreme being to introduce the idea that education is

In the Drunkard’s progress: From the First Glass to the Grave caricature from 1846, there is an arching bridge that begins with a fancy, well kept and presumably upstanding father taking a single sip from a beverage. As the man progresses on the bridge, he rapidly loses his civil demeanor and descends into more sinful behavior like consorting with other women, gambling, fighting and more drinking. Meanwhile, the depressed mother of the man’s child weeps in the background (Doc 4). Evidently, the temperance movement is arguing against the freedom to consume liquor under the defense that it corrupts society. Indeed, temperance reform actually prioritizes virtue over democratic ideals of freedom to pursue happiness. Finally, in her speech to Akron Women’s convention in 1851, Sojourner Truth uses the virtue of equality,which also happens to be a democratic ideal, to support her claims. Specifically, Sojourner says that despite being a woman, she works as hard as a man and has earned her place as an equal with man (Doc 7). Speaking as an escaped slave who was persecuted in the South, and as a woman persecuted in the North, Sojourner reminds her audience of sympathizers that the goal of their movement should be total equality. The prioritization of virtuous behavior serves to spread democracy through involving people in reform movements and facilitating the dissemination of democratic