Middle America (1861-1945)

By: Tyler Howard 

 

Political Impact

 

 Followers of the new Awakening (3^rd grate awaking) promoted the idea of the Social Gospel.

What this did in politics is support higher moral legislation, such as child labor legislation. This also went hand in hand with the 18^th amendment. Meaning the prohibition movement in general was connected to religion. 

“Across the nation, drys crusaded in the name of religion for the prohibition of alcohol. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union mobilized Protestant women for social crusades against liquor, pornography and prostitution, and sparked the demand for women's suffrage.”

This quote is also shows how it condemned not only liquor but also vs other “morally wrong” things such as pornography and prostitution things that to this day is highly regulated in stores / illegal.

Social Gospel preachers and with reformers in the Progressive Era who became involved with issues of child labor, compulsory elementary education and the protection of women from exploitation in factories.

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was a representation of the ideas from this movement. The act was one of the first to speak out and oppose child labor.

Religion even entered into education of school with some school being all of one faith, such as catholic schools / protestant schools.

Social Impacts

 

Females came out with a striking force forcing two of the United States amendments into law. These are the 18^th and the 19^th. Women were able to get the right to vote, this has to  existent due to religion.

One of the major reasons that they were able to convince modern politicians to there side via similarities, one of the major ones would be the act they were also protest Christians.

 

African Americans Rights-

One of the major reasons black people were able to gain rights were under the teachings of doctor king. He was a teacher of passive resistance and was a Christian. His teachings were successful overall. The reason this is a large deal is at the same time other African American were calling for violence is the name of Islam, this means that if not for their religion and following of peaceful tactics there still could be racist and decimators laws on the books.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. on violence:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K1j9FaH2io

 

What were active religions in America?

 

Methodists, Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Episcopalians, Congregationalists, Disciples of Christ, and Catholicism were all conventional but still at times popular American religions.