vision and reality

Chapter 7 JeffersonVision and Reality

What was Jefferson and the Republicans vision?

What was the reality?What about his stance on the Federal

Government?Who would be the true leaders?

Patterns of Education

• What would keep everyone together—if you don’t have a strong federal government?

• “virtuous and enlightened citizenry”• “crusade against ignorance”• A seed was planted

• Schooling became the responsibility of private institutions—who received an education?

• Poor?• Women?• “Paternal vision of society”? white men preside benevolently over

everyone else

Republican Motherhood

• But what about the mothers?—educate the women but only to make them better wives and mothers—no advance schooling

• 1784 Judith Sargent Murray• -equal in intellect and potential• -same educational opportunities than men• -same economic opportunities• -establish a separate sphere for herself• How was she viewed at the time?

Native Americans

• “noble savages” not “necessarily inferior”• Educate to assimilate-who?

• African Americans?

Higher Education

• Elitist-One in a thousand went to college—classics and theology

The Practice of Medicine

• University of Pennsylvania-Benjamin Rush• Practitioners• Bleeding and purging

Cultural Aspirations

• In terms of Culture, what did Americans want?• We were politically independent and now we

wanted to be culturally independent• What does that look like?

Noah Webster

American Writers-struggled to create a somewhat native literary culture

• Washington Irving-• Mercy Otis Warren• Mason Weens

Religious Skepticism

• Religion declines again—why??

Reasons for Decline

• The Revolution• --secular affair• --promoting separation of church and state• --human logic• “universalism and Unitarianism”• Only about 10% of white Americans during

this time were members of a Church• Soooooooooooooo…..

Second Great Awakening

• The First Great Awakening emphasized Calvinist traditions and the deep depravity of human beings and believed they could only be saved through the grace of God.

• S.G.A. placed a greater emphasis on humans’ ability to change their situation for the better-asserting their ‘free will’-in choosing to be saved –everyone could be saved—salvation through good works—more optimistic.

• Women and African Americans participate and play a more active role

• Outcome: reform movement-slavery-moral issue

Stirrings of Industrialization

• While the US was busy winning its independence, England was in the process of an industrial revolution.

• And in the US????• Samuel Slater-spinning mill• Oliver Evans-automated flour mill• Eli Whitney-cotton gin and interchangeable

parts

Trade and Transportation

• To becoming industrial, a country needs a system for transporting raw materials to factories and finished goods to market.

• Markets??• Transporting??• Oliver Evans, John Fitch, James Watt and

Robert Fulton—steamboat• Turnpikes