When one thinks of the 19th century within America, the word ?progress? comes to mind. Indeed, the industrialization of the United States did represent progress in the world, as goods could now be made cheaper and faster. Unfortunately, the mechanization of manufacturing also meant an increase in the demand for raw materials. A majority of the population at this time therefore supported slavery as vital to the economy. The cruelty of slavery could certainly not exist in a ?land of equality? where everyone is entitled to liberty. Abolitionists took up this cause and protested the institution of slavery as a sore on the face of America. This became one of the first organized civil rights movements within the United States, and it attracted people for different reasons. The first of these reasons was that there were religious organizations such as the Quakers whose philosophies could not accept the institution of slavery. The second group morally objected to the institution and could not see it existing in the same realm as the Constitution. Another group that fell in with this second group were the women of the abolition movement. They rejected slavery based on moral grounds but also wanted it abolished because they viewed it as a step forward in their own fight for equality in a society dominated by white males.

Dorothea Lynde Dix tried to improve the plight of the insane. She wrote about how these ?undesirables? were chained to their wooden beds and often beaten. Another harsh reality of these mental institutions was the fact that to be deemed ?insane? at this point in history was not actually based on an understanding of mental illness. Anyone who displayed ?unusual? behavior could be declared insane. This unusual behavior could range from what we now know as Tourette syndrome to homosexuality. Abraham Lincoln?s wife was committe

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Approximate Word count = 1247
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)