Second Great Awakening Dbq

The Second Great Awakening began in 1790, as numerous Americans experienced uncertainty as they confronted a rapidly changing society with increases in urbanization and technology. The movement focused on the ability of individuals to change their lives as a means of personal salvation and as a way to reform society as a whole, which opened the door for many reform movements. The Second Great Awakening shaped reform movements such as temperance, abolition, and women’s rights in the nineteenth century because of the increase in concern for the morality of the American people.

The temperance movement was greatly influenced by the Second Great Awakening because a godly society would be impossible without being clear-minded and not under the influence

of alcohol. Temperance reformers were often women and religious leaders, who believed that alcohol would turn working men into worthless consumers. Many Christians during this time believed that alcohol caused conflict within families and kept people from performing their duties effectively; many wanted to reclaim human society and change them for the better (Document 4). Some reformers, such as John Warner Barber, drew illustrations showing how even one glass of alcohol could lead to “poverty, wretchedness, and ruin” (Document 2). Eventually, through the influence of family ideals and the idea of a perfect society during the Second Great Awakening, the temperance movement gained ground and went on to inspire the 18th amendment.
The abolition movement was also greatly affected by the Second Great Awakening because of the belief that everyone’s life was equally valuable to God. Lyman Beecher, a famed preacher of the Second Great Awakening, believed that people who were enslaved had souls that were just as worthy of salvation as anyone who was already free. He saw this as a perversion of God’s word and a perversion of family (Document 1). Harriet Beecher Stowe, the daughter of Lyman Beecher, was greatly influenced by her father in her writing of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, which was one of the greatest abolition propaganda pieces in the nineteenth century. Other reformers, such as David Walker, wrote that God believed everyone to be equal, regardless of the color of their skin (Document 3). The Second Great Awakening shaped the abolition movement because people were extremely motivated by their faith in God and their faith in trying to create heaven on Earth and a better society, causing them to campaign strenuously for the end of slavery.
Perhaps most importantly, the Second Great Awakening shaped the women’s rights movement because female abolitionists realized that they were already fighting for other’s rights and could therefore fight for their own political rights.

The Awakening experienced a feminization of religion in theology and church membership. Many middle class women found strength in controlling their own morality and fostering the moral life of American spirituality. Since they were fighting for a world that was better for everyone, also known as an utopia, female reformers realized that fighting for their own rights would permit a more wholesome life for other women in the United States (Document 5). Female reformers such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton realized that women did not have to submit to men but could instead stand up for her own rights (Document 7). In addition, women made up the majority of new church membership, leading to an increase in their role in society. Due to a multitude of factors, most important of which is women taking a greater role in society due to their involvement in religion, the Second Great Awakening drastically influenced the women’s rights

movement.
In conclusion, the Second Great Awakening shaped reform movements such as temperance, abolition, and women’s rights in the nineteenth century because of the increase in concern for the morality of people in the United States. Eventually, efforts from the Awakening went on to inspire more drastic reform movements during the late nineteenth century and early twenties century, leading to Amendments establishing tolerance and allowing both African Americans and women to vote in the United States.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt served as President from March of 1933 to April of 1945, which is the longest tenure any president has served in United States history. Throughout his presidency, he greatly changed the politics in his responses to challenges such as the Great Depression. Roosevelt was elected in 1932 because Americans believed that he could combat the Depression more effectively than President Herbert Hoover, his Republican opponent. In his campaign, Roosevelt promised a New Deal, where he would implement a variety of innovative political policies to try and pull the United States away from economic disaster and lay the foundation for future prosperity. The election of President Roosevelt was a turning point in United States politics because he expanded the federal government’s responsibility to promote public welfare, as well as reshaped and expanded executive powers.
Under President Roosevelt, the American federal government assumed a more powerful role in the nation’s economy and in the welfare of its citizens.

Unlike any president before him, President Roosevelt faced the Great Depression and created the New Deal to try and ensure the economic and political wealth of the United States. In 1935, the federal government guaranteed unions the right to organize and bargain collectively, and the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 established minimum wage and maximum outs. Beginning in 1933, the government also helped rural and agricultural American with development programs and assume responsibility for the economy of the United States. Essentially, the New Deal sought to ensure that the benefits of American capitalism were spread equally amongst the many diverse peoples of the United States. Even though Roosevelt's New Deal failed to cure completely the economy of the Great Depression, his governmental policies during it established a new norm for succeeding governments to

follow.
In addition, Franklin D. Roosevelt also reshaped the Amerian presidency and strengthened the role of the executive branch. Because the country was in a time of crisis, President Roosevelt had to act quickly and independently in order to ensure the health of the United States. In doing so, he stretched the glove of presidency and set a precedent for presidents after him to take more of a role in the country. Under FDR’s leadership, the President's duties grew to be both the implementer of policy and the drafter of policy. In trying to craft legislation to help the Great Depression, Roosevelt required a greater set of advisers, unlike any previously seen in Washington D.C.; he greatly increased the responsibilities of his office, but also enhanced the ability of the presidency to meet the new responsibilities. Also, through his “fireside chats,” Roosevelt build a bond between himself and the public, shaping the image of the president and the caretaker of the American people.
In conclusion, the election of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1932 marked a turning point in United States politics because he expanded the federal government’s responsibility to promote public welfare and significantly reshaped presidential powers. Even today, Federal programs that Roosevelt implemented during his presidency through the New Deal, and the way that he changed the responsibilities and powers of the executive branch still greatly affect the government and people of the United States.