Reforming America 1815-1860 by Joshua D. Rothman

Reforming America 1815-1860 offers insights into one of the most complex and dynamic periods in American history. In the decades before the Civil War, movements to reform American lives swept the United States. Reformers strove to stamp out what they perceived as sin and vice, to contain the worst excesses and consequences of capitalism, to improve the conditions of the less fortunate, to broaden the meaning of freedom, and to make American society not just better but perfect. The original essay and the rich collection of documents in this reader explore each of the major reform movements, the underlying motivations of the reformers, the ways the reform movements changed everyday life, and the way the movements reflected the character of the age.

Soft cover.

About the series: Brief and affordable, Norton Documents Readers are perfect companion volumes for American, European, and world history courses. Edited by leading historians and teachers, each volume is designed to enable students to learn how to read, analyze, and interpret primary-source documents. Each volume opens with a brief original essay written by the editors of the volume that gives an interpretive overview of the topic or event, followed by a rich, well-organized collection of primary sources. Each primary source includes a headnote and study questions. Every volume includes a historical chronology and a list of further readings.

About the author: Joshua D. Rothman is an associate professor of history at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. He has written extensively and taught many courses on the history of antebellum America.