Over the first Century and a half of American History, Reformers and Radicals found many innovative and effective ways to communicate their ideas to the country. Today, sending a message across the country can be as easy as writing an e-mail, and mass communication can be achieved as easily as setting up a website or buying a television advertisement. It is hard for one to imagine a world without a computer, a TV, or even a telephone, but this was the world that made the task of delivering a message to the people such a daunting task in 19th Century America. Reformers and Radicals used methods such as public speech, writings, organizations, and even violence to communicate to the entire nation. Indeed, the method of conveying a particular message or ideology chosen was very important, as it would often play a large part in shaping that ideology in the eyes of the public.

Public speech was one of the most common methods that reformers used to reach the general public. Speeches had many advantages that made them a very appealing way for reformers to convey their message. The main advantag

Voluntary Organizations existed for just about every reform movement during the 19th Century. An association could make a statement more important because of the knowledge of the number of members that supported it. Organizations were both large and small. They ranged from small temperance organizations in the 1840's that forced members to make pledges not to drink alcohol to the Knights of Labor and the AFL in the 1880's and early 1900's, respectively. Groups that had large numbers could often influence Congress more than small groups, with the knowledge that a large voter pool supported a large group. It was this ability to influence politics that was the main advantage of voluntary associations, although they also provided a sense of brotherhood to reformers who often felt like outcasts in society. In fact, some voluntary associations were not formed with a single purpose except that of brotherhood. Examples of this include the popular the fraternal organizations and lodges of the 18th Century. These groups might band together a particular group, say African American males, and allow them to accomplish something while finding safety in numbers. Organizations often led to one more type of expression of ideas, direct action.

e that they held was that they were cost efficient. It only takes one person to make a speech, and there is no other capital required. If someone wanted his or her view heard and had no other way to go about it, a speech was often the best option. Speakers did not even require venues to make their speeches. Although churches or other public buildings were often used, a speech could be made from the back of a horse driven cart. This style of riding from town to town was often seen in New England and upstate New York, where towns were close enough to make traveling from town to town practical. Speeches also appealed to reform groups who did not have a large contingency; a small group of speakers could often reach a large portion of the country easily.

A third method of communicating a message to the public was one that was almost always viewed as radical. Violence was seen in the latter part of the 19th century, mainly in the anarchist movement, but in other movements as well. Violence served as a way to shock the public and force them to realize that a particular group existed. The Haymarket Riot that occurred in Chicago in the 1880's was the best example of violence in radical movements. Although it put the country on notice about the building socialist movement, it also harmed the movement at the same time. It connected fear with socialism in the minds of many Americans. The movement was dead before it started. Although not planned, by connecting fear with the socialist movement the riot forced labor unions in the future, such as the AFL, to distance themselves from the movement. The epitome of radicalism, violence more often than not ended up scaring the general public away from a movement. And no radical movement has truly succeeded without at least a sizeable percentage of the population supporting it. A much more effective method of communicating a message with the people was extensive organization.

From written and public speech to direct action, reformers were constantly forced to find innovative ways to communicate with the public throughout early American History. Although the reformers in the more recent past have often looked to foreign lands for examples of how to communicate their ideas, they could have just as easily looked back on America's own past. Reform movements and radical groups have defined America since its radical beginnings with Thomas Paine, through the anti-slavery, temperance, and women's rights movements, and even throug

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