American History

The nineteenth century can be remembered to have been dominated by several political, economic and social reforms mainly because a lot of aspects needed major reforms in the age of industrial revolution. The common man was suffering as the big fish scrambled for profits, ate and got bigger. These resulted to several problems that needed attention of the reformers in the 19th century. The social problems that crouched in included the conditions of working, housing and healthcare as well as parliamentary representation and sanitation. Other social problems that needed attention were national morals that had deteriorated. A number of people came forward to fight against these social problems and their backgrounds were varied with some being concerned employers such as Robert Owen and David Dale. Firebrands like Calrlile Richard and James Philips-Kay, a medical expert also contributed significantly towards the cause of reformation (Tindall, David, 2007). All the reformers had one and common desire to make the intolerable situation that existed in the 19th century more bearable for a common man.

National morals became one of the leading social problems that significantly needed reforms for a functional society in 19th century. Perhaps one of the reformers in the United States was President Charles G. Finney. Although it is said that President Finney never attended any reform conventions and never delivered any addresses or lectures that were exclusively dedicate to moral reform promotion, his influence was significant in all the reforms in the United States (Tindall, David, 2007).

President Finney was known as the most potential advocates for antislavery movements through the preaching against the social problem. Finney time and again spoke directly against social evils such as intemperance, Sabbath desecration and slavery with great emphasis. Finneys philosophy of emancipation connects with other reformers in the 19th century such as Wm. Lloyd Garrison and Dr. Leonard Bacon although he does not take Finney does not take the same position in the abolitions and struggles against slavery. Together with Garrison, Finney believed that the reformation of the church was the first step in all moral reforms.

Dorothea Dix, another reformer in the 19th century pioneered a movement which greatly improved the condition of people who were suffering from mental illness. She defended the mentally sick and the people who could not maintain a wage or a profession. Her report on Massachusetts prison gave a clear picture how this class of people suffered in prison life which they did not deserve. The sick and the poor individuals were taken to prison since there was no place they were to be accommodated. Nevertheless, the Massachusetts prison accepted them. Dix argued that these people needed freedom which was the breath of Gods power referring to a divine cause (Tindall, David, 2007).

Other reformers included people such as Mann Horace who was a major innovator of the early American education. He wrote in his account that the new union and the majority of cities were poorly nourished and could not mentally support the people of America since the books and libraries were lacking. He argued that in a system of books and libraries, men and women were to be unified with a common knowledge.

The reformers of the 19th century had significant task and they made several achievement in the transformation of the society by tackling most of the social problems.