Reform Impulse essays

Reform Impulse essays Today many people speak about the pace and revolutionary speed of life. It appears that this has to be the time of greatest change in American history. Those who lived in the United States during the mid-1800s may have thought differently. When Alexis de Tocqueville visited the U.S. in 1831, he was amazed not only by the nation's fast pulse but also by the reaction of the citizens to this tremendous growth. Americans were surely on the move, but not everyone agreed on the direction. Many were worried about territorial expansion, increasing population and expanding diversity that was causing increasing animosity and selfishness that individualism brings. These concerns initiated the reform tradition or reform impulse as it is Individuals from a wide range of backgrounds and interests had various reasons for wanting reform or changing the direction they saw the country moving. Humanitarian or secular organizations hoped to reduce the stresses and inequities created by social disorder, violence, and widening class divisions. Others wanted to spread the word of God and eliminate the arising societal evils. Specific-cause associations included the American Temperance Society, the American Peace Society and the Society for the Prevention of Pauperism. The American Bible Society, the American Tract Society and the American Female Moral Reform Society were among the religious groups that brought the missionary effort to the U.S. population. For whatever the problemcrime, poverty, prostitution, intemperance and ignorancean organized effort existed. Temperance often headed the list of the moral reform enterprises, since drinking was such a critical part of American culture. The consumption of whisky, rum, and hard cider exceeded six gallons per person per year. In 1826 the national organization, the American Temperance Society, was formed. This was followed six years later by th...