How Reform Movements Impacted Lives of Americans and People Worldwide

The reform movements are a sort of social movement to bring the political and social system closer together, this essay will focus on 4 of them, they were created to bring about change to education, prison, women’s rights and anti-slavery. If you look at it all, there seems to be a connection between all these movements, however they were supported by a common theme and that was the liberation of the human spirit. The movements provided the support that all humans should be free and have right’s.

The education movement coupled information and freedom. The jail social movement didn’t support physical liberation, however on the concept that the spirit-crushing retaliate stress of quaint prisons wouldn't produce any chance of amendment within the inmates. The women's rights movement was primarily based upon the notion that girls mustn't be treated as inferior to men thanks to gender. Finally, the anti-slavery movement failed to focus only on the concept that slavery, as an establishment, was inherently unhealthy because of it disadvantaged individuals of their physical liberty, however additionally on how slavery was practiced within the nonmodern South and therefore the indignities that attended it.

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It was important to create these Movements to make changes for the better in America. People wanted change and be respected and life better lives. Women wanted to be respected, treated fairly or even equally and also have a say in things, Children needed better ways of learning, free Slaves wanted better life’s and prisoners needed to be treated more humanely.

The Effects of American Reform Movements in the 1900s Living in the United States of America is about circumstance. The chance to land a decent position, profit, and lead an existence of good quality; as it were, the chance to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. It opened the door for some. Certain gatherings of individuals did not hold the fundamental rights that were ensured by the Constitution. Truth be told, most of the general population that had opportunity were the well-off white men, and few other individuals had a chance to have a decent existence. Often, the movements are referred to as political movements because they are of that nature. However, they exist to make things better for mostly the human race. So, there was the women’s right movement which was first created in 1848 and lasted approx. till 1920 it was to give women the right to vote. Until then women were looked at as second-class citizens. They were expected to only show interest for the home and family. Even after marriage women had no right’s they were not allowed to have their own money, property or even sign a contract. So, a Women’s suffrage movement was created to give women the right to vote or give them right’s in general.

The most famous leaders of the movement were Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Stone or Sojourner Truth. It helped them to have human rights and live free of violence, free from slavery, fair and equal wages and to own property. Then there was a prison movement. It was created around the 1800 when it was noticed by activists that prisoners were abused and the mentally ill were horribly. A humanitarian name Dorthea Dix felt that the mentally ill should not be housed with the common prisoner and that the prisoners should not be abused and ill-treated. Because of her new institutions were created for the mentally ill, like mental institutions. The prison reform was and still is today to create a more effective system to improve conditions within the prison and its prisoners. “The detrimental impact of imprisonment, not only on individuals but on families and communities, and economic factors also need to be taken into account when considering the need for prison reforms.” (Unodc.org, 2018) To treat them more humanely, to reform them, to educate and to make it overall more safe and sanitary for the incarcerated. Also, to prohibit cruel and unusual punishment, to give them better access to counseling, to reestablish family bonds etc. With the education movement activists and advocates wanted to make education more readily available to all that wanted to learn but especially children. The man who led this movement was Horace Mann, as a child he only attended school for a very short period. So, he saw it fit to lead a movement to educate all the proper way. He advocated that property tax were being used to fund the school’s. A lot of children of the rich were send to private schools and very few areas had public schools that were available to the rest of the children. People believed that if children could attend school and get educated that they would create less mischief and become good citizens. Mann stretched the school year to a half year and made changes in school educational modules.

By the mid-1800s, most states had acknowledged three fundamental standards of government funded instruction: that school ought to be free and upheld by charges, that educators ought to be prepared and that kids ought to be required to go to class. “Progressives also pursued efficiency in the educational system. They argued that, in order for citizens to work better in their jobs and participate in politics, they needed to be well educated. Thus, in cities and towns, Progressives helped build more schools and improved teacher education and salaries.” (Schultz, 2014) by 1850 America still did not offer training to everybody. Most secondary schools and universities did not concede females. Now there was also the anti-slavery movement also called Abolitionism it was created to free the slaves and end the trade. It all started around 1830 by a reformer name William Lloyd Garrison how was the founder of the American anti-slavery society. Slaves were treated as property by the whites it ended with the 13th amendment. The movement was to abolish the slavery and immediate emancipation of all slaves and to end discrimination and segregation. To give them basic human rights. “The 13th Amendment to the Constitution declared that "Neither slavery nor involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, shall exist within the United States, or any place subject to their jurisdiction."

Formally abolishing slavery in the United States, the 13th Amendment was passed by the Congress on January 31, 1865, and ratified by the states on December 6, 1865” (Loc.gov, 2018) I want to say that unfortunately the movement still exists today maybe in a different way, but it is still present because blacks are still treated differently. Better view All of these are backed up by facts and records. Movements changed and still are changing the world. The educational movement made it possible for all children to get a decent education regardless of race, color, religion, income etc. The anti-slavery movement, well, it freed the captured and gave them a good shot at a decent life and gave them human rights. Even though they were not really free till the end of segregation. The women’s right’s movement gave women all over the world power to be seen as equals and also gave them the right’s to be independent. The prison movement gave the incarcerated rights to be treated more humanely and live in livable conditions.

Impact in my life today

Well, I am a woman, so the women’s right’s movement gave me a better chance to live and do what I do today. It gives me the opportunity to attend school, make my own money, have the right to vote etc. all because women in the old days stood up for us and created change. I would like to think that the prison system has gotten better and still is improving today to make better persons out of the incarcerated so that we can all live in harmony as they are being released. The education movement helped me tremendously because as a foreigner it gives me the opportunity to further educate my self and to find a better job to provide for my family. The anti-slavery movement helps all humans to get along much better without any judgement. I would like to think that it makes better politics for all. They also have an affect on social and business.

References

1. Loc.gov. (2018). 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Primary Documents of American History (Virtual Programs & Services, Library of Congress). [online] Available at: https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/13thamendment.html [Accessed 18 Jul. 2018].

2. Schultz, K. (2014). HIST5 Volume 2. 3rd ed. Cengage Learning; 5 edition (October 3, 2017), pp.19- 5c.

3. Unodc.org. (2018). Prison Reform and Alternatives to Imprisonment. [online] Available at: https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/justice-and-prison-reform/prison-reform-and-alternatives-to-imprisonment.html [Accessed 22 Jul. 2018].