John Green Extra Credit: Chapters 12 & 13

19th Century Reforms:

What was the inherent fallacy of arguing against black abolitionist about the inferiority
of black people?
o

The most inherent fallacy of arguing black abolitionist about the inferiority of
black people was that they were uneducated and could not be equal. This of
course was proven wrong by eloquent speakers like Fredrick Douglass, he was the
very proof that blacks were not inferior. But rather made inferior by their
oppressors through denying them educations and not allowing them learn to read
and write. Even with their attempts, many slaves taught themselves how to read
and write and educated themselves in other way as well when possible. There is
not science or logic behind the claim that they are inferior, simply hatred and
ignorance of those who wanted to keep slavery going.

How was abolitionism so popular in the early 19th century when during the 18th century
a minimal percent supported it?
o Abolitionists gained new traction in the early 19th century because of an additional
group of people who were against it. In the 18th century the only people against
slavery were slaves, freed black men, and poor farmers, but in the 19th century the
movement gained the addition of Colonizationalist. The movement gained a lot of
support when they brought in their idea of sending slaves back to Africa from
wealthy whites, government officials, and some blacks who believed the racism
whites had would never change. But, there were a group of black people very
against Colonizationalist regime that believed they deserved the same freedoms in
America that the whites had. Abolitionists movements became more aggressive
in their message, and simply wanted equality.

What were some utopian communities founded in the early 19th century and why did
they fail?
o Shakers: Mostly failed because of their celibacy, due to the fact that without sex
and being able to raise children into their religion made recruiting hard. However,
in their peak they had 6,000 members and are still considered one of the most
successful utopian societies from the 19th century.
o Mormons: Mostly failed because their ideals caused them to be persecuted and led
to many Mormon massacres. People apparently did not like the Book of Mormon,
or the ideas and stories it held. Although they had slight failure in the 19th century,
their churches still continue to grow today.
o Brooke Farm: Mostly failed because it strived to live off of a socialist ideal and
lifestyle that believed that manual labor and intellectual engagement could co-

exist (John Green, 2013). This did not work out very well because people who
enjoyed intellectual engagement were not too keen on the idea of manual labor.
o

Utopian Societies in Utopia, Ohio & Modern Times, New York: These societies
failed because they were essentially a free for all. The societies were built off of
the idea of individualism, which meant there were very little laws if any on
anything; including marriage.

Women of the 19th Century:

Why does it make sense that women ran most of the reform movement?
o It makes sense that women ran most of the reform movements because it was
where their sphere of influence laid. Since they served as the moral conscious in
their homes then it made sense that they would be the moral conscious of society
as a whole (John Green, 2013). Women had the mother like nurturing heart and it
made sense that they would be trying to better the lives of others around them.

Why were lower class women and men closer to equality than middle upper class?
o Lower class women and men were closer to equality for the following reason:

The higher the class the more restrictions (less freedoms) women had
(John Green, 2013).

How did the reform movement engender the suffragist movement?

o The reform movement stimulated the suffragist movement because men began to
realize that womens votes would be needed to push reform movements through.
Since they ran the reform spectrum of the society it only made sense that their
votes would be important to have reforms actually work, since most men did not
care about the movements. Reform also helped women realize they were actually
being oppressed, just like the people they were fighting for. That being said, when
they realized that they deserved equal opportunity in economic aspects, the public
sphere, and voting.

War & Expansion:

The compromises admitting states into the union is the equivalent to taping over holes in
the bottom of a boat. Explain the analogy.
o This analogy basically means that the compromise was a Band-Aid solution, it
was not and would not be a permanent solution to the issue at hand. It made it
easier to look over since the holes were covered, but would only work till the tape
gave way and inevitably made the holes worse when exposed. These types of
solutions have the tendency to make the issues at hand worse when exposed
because when you want to finally fix it there will be at least one group of people

who are unhappy with the outcome. In the case of the compromises used for
admitting states to the union, this Band-Aid solution would lead to the Civil War.

How did California become a state with only having a population of 3500 in 1820?
o California became a state in 1820 with only a population of 3500, because of the
Gold Rush. With the newfound Gold in California populations began to grow
quickly and because of this California was given statehood.

How did America decide whether CA entered the Union as a free or slave state?
o America decided that California entered the Union as a free state through The
Compromise of 1850. This compromise allowed California to enter as a free states
as long as the following was agreed to:

Slave Trade Outlawed in Washington, DC.

New Fugitive Slave Law Enacted.

Popular Sovereignty.

Through this agreement the issue of free or slave statehood would be solved, as
well as any states that entered the Union following that. Although it made slavery
harsher, and made the Civil War unavoidable in the future, it settled the issue of
California statehood quickly.