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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
This 5 page paper discusses and critiques the work Moralists and Modernizers by Steven Mintz. One reform from the antebellum era is discussed as well as a general overview given. Bibliography lists 1 source.
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5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_MBmintz.rtf
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movement was well underway before the outbreak of the Civil War. Steven Mintz in his book, Moralists and Modernizers illustrates three of the major areas of reform in the decades
preceding the Civil War. There are three major areas in which reform seemed the strongest, Mintz suggests. They were the moral, social and radical reform movements. The Moral reform,
as suggested by Mintz, was the movement that sought to use religion in a broader sense to create a pervasive Christian morality. Social reform, on the other hand, sought to
take on the prevailing issues of the time such as poverty and crime. These reforms were sought through the employment of institutional, but highly non-authoritarian, social controls. "Therefore, Americans channeled
their energies into reform, engaging with the problems of lunatics, criminals, social vices, children, even the definition of "polite" society"(Mintz 1995, pg. 82). Lastly, radical reformers addressed the underlying issues
which gave rise to many of the other problems in society such as inequity involving the slave trade, and womens rights. Many of the social reforms which are in
place in the modern society today got their start during this era. For example, the programs for educating the deaf and the blind, childrens education, and asylums were created during
this time. This particular era was fraught with uncertainty and possibility. As such it was fertile ground for change. Mintz suggests that the impulse to reform society came out of
a combination of fear and optimism. During this time there was a great deal of upheaval occurring in society. The gap between the poor and the affluent was massive
and as such there was a groundswell of discontent which threatened to spill over into a violent demonstration. Likewise those rules and regulations which had served society well up until
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