“The transformation of American theology in the first quarter of the
nineteenth century released the very forces of romantic perfectionism that
conservatives most feared. . . . As it spread, perfectionism swept across
denominational barriers and penetrated even secular thought. . . .
As the sum of individual sins, social wrong would disappear when enough
people had been converted and rededicated to right conduct. Deep and
lasting reform, therefore, meant an educational crusade based on the
assumption that when a sufficient number of individual Americans had
seen the light, they would automatically solve the country’s social problems.
Thus formulated, perfectionist reform offered a program of mass conversion
achieved through educational rather than political means. In the opinion
of the romantic reformers the regeneration of American society began, not
in legislative enactments or political manipulation, but in [an] . . . appeal to
the American urge for individual self-improvement.”
John L. Thomas, historian, Romantic Reform in America, 1815–1865, 1965
“In the United States, the public sphere formed itself in a void, growing lush
from the fertilization of religious and political controversies as its signature
forms spread rapidly from city to town and town to village. In the ensuing
decades, the public realm became an arena of initiatives and experiments,
religiously-inspired reform movements and heated political contests. . . .
In creating vast pools of proselytizers . . . and designating the entire society
a missionary field, the evangelical Protestants, particularly in the North,
encouraged social activism. . . .
The society as a whole had to be redeemed . . . . Once converted, men
and women found ways to express their new-found spiritual awakening by
getting government policy, public morals, and private lives to conform to
biblical prescriptions.”
Joyce Appleby, historian, Inheriting the Revolution, 2000
Using the excerpts, answer (a), (b), and (c).
(a) Briefly explain ONE major difference between Thomas’s and Appleby’s
historical interpretations of influences on the Constitution.
(b) Briefly explain how ONE historical event or development in the
period 1820 to 1860 that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts
could be used to support Thomas’s interpretation.
(c) Briefly explain how ONE historical event or development in the
period 1820 to 1860 that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts
could be used to support Appleby’s interpretation.
make your answers 2 sentences or less
(a) One major difference between Thomas and Appleby's interpretations is that Thomas emphasizes the role of individual conversion and personal self-improvement in driving social reform, while Appleby focuses on the role of evangelical Protestantism and religious activism in shaping societal transformation.
(b) The Second Great Awakening, a religious revival movement that swept across the United States in the early 19th century, could support Thomas's interpretation as it led to increased emphasis on personal piety and individual spiritual awakening, which in turn contributed to a desire for social reform through personal conversion.
(c) The rise of abolitionist movements, such as the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Underground Railroad, could support Appleby's interpretation as they exemplify the ways in which religious-inspired reform movements were instrumental in pushing for government policy changes and moral transformation in society.
actually make them one sentence
(a) Thomas emphasizes individual conversion and self-improvement as the driving force behind social reform, while Appleby highlights the role of evangelical Protestantism and religious activism in shaping societal transformation.
(b) The Second Great Awakening, a religious revival movement, supports Thomas's interpretation by emphasizing personal piety and individual spiritual awakening as catalysts for social reform.
(c) The rise of abolitionist movements, such as the American Anti-Slavery Society and the Underground Railroad, aligns with Appleby's interpretation by showcasing religious-inspired reform movements actively pushing for government policy changes and moral transformation in society.
(a) One major difference between Thomas's and Appleby's interpretations is that Thomas emphasizes the role of individual conversion and educational reform in shaping American society, while Appleby highlights the influence of religious and political controversies on the public sphere.
(b) An event that could support Thomas's interpretation is the Second Great Awakening, a religious revival movement that emphasized personal salvation and moral reform, and had a significant impact on American society during this period.
(c) An event that could support Appleby's interpretation is the abolitionist movement, which was driven by religious ideals and sought to reform society by ending slavery and promoting equality, reflecting the desire to make government policy align with biblical principles.