Antebellum Reformers Summit

The Mission

The year is 1845. The United States is in the midst of the Second Great Awakening and a Market Revolution. You are a prominent reformer.

You have been invited to a Summit to find allies. Your goal is to interview specific types of reformers (Abolitionists, Transcendentalists, Women's Rights Activists, etc.) and determine who is a strategic match for your cause. You are not just socializing; you are building a political coalition.

Part I: Preparation (Resume & Business Card)

To participate, you must fully embody your historical figure.

1. The Reformer Business Card (Your "Cheat Sheet")

You will create a physical card (index card size) to hold during interviews. It must contain the following details so you are ready to debate.

Front of Card (Public Profile):

• Name & Title:

• Organization/Affiliation: (e.g., American Anti-Slavery Society or Brook Farm)

• Key Publication: (Name of your newspaper, book, or pamphlet)

• Motto / Soundbite: (A direct quote from a primary source)

Back of Card (The Platform):

• Belief #1: (Your stance on the main issue)

• Belief #2: (Your stance on religion or government)

• Belief #3: (Your stance on women's role in society)

• Desired Allies: (Who are you looking for?)

• Known Enemies: (Who do you refuse to work with?)

2. The Reformer Profile (Curriculum Vitae)

Research your specific figure to answer these questions in detail.

Category	Your Information
Biographical Context	Name:  Region/State: How did your childhood, education, or religion affect your views?
The "Problem"	What specific criticism of American society do you have?
Immediate Needs	What is your number one concern for the immediate needs of the nation?
Methods & Fanaticism	What methods did you use? (Writing, speaking, violence?) To what extent were you passionate about an impractical goal?
Obstacles & "Haters"	Who is working against you? How did you deal with them?
Allies	Who are your colleagues or friends in this movement?
Impact	What lasting impact did your reforms have on American society?

Part II: Summit Registration

Movement	Reformer Name	Student Name
Abolitionists	William Lloyd Garrison
	Frederick Douglass
	Theodore Weld
	David Walker
	Sojourner Truth
	Harriet Tubman
Women's Rights	Elizabeth Cady Stanton
	Lucretia Mott
	Angelina Grimké
	Sarah Grimké
	Lucy Stone
	Margaret Fuller
Transcendentalists & Utopians	Ralph Waldo Emerson
	Henry David Thoreau
	George Ripley
	Robert Owen
	Mother Ann Lee
	John Humphrey Noyes
Religious & Social Reform	Charles G. Finney
	Lyman Beecher
	Dorothea Dix
	Horace Mann
	Joseph Smith
	Brigham Young

Part III: The Summit (Speed Interviews)

Logistics:

• Total Time: 27 Minutes.

• Interview Length: 3 Minutes per pair (90 seconds per person)

• Rotations: You will complete approximately 9 Interviews.

Instructions:

You must interview at least two people from each category below. Your goal is to screen them: Can I work with this person?

Your Interview Questions:

Draft 3 historical questions to ask your candidates (e.g., "Do you support the Constitution?"):

1. ______________________________________________________________________________

2. ______________________________________________________________________________

3. ______________________________________________________________________________

Category A: The Abolitionists

Interview 2 Abolitionists.

Name of Interviewee	Their Main Argument	Ally or Enemy?
1.
2.

Reflection on Abolitionists:

1. What do they consider the biggest challenge facing Americans today?

2. Could you work with these people? Why or why not?

Category B: The Transcendentalists

Interview 2 Transcendentalists.

Name of Interviewee	Their Main Argument	Ally or Enemy?
1.
2.

Reflection on Transcendentalists:

1. What interesting things did you learn about their view of the world?

2. Do their ideas seem practical to you, or too abstract?

Category C: Women’s Rights Advocates

Interview 2 Women's Rights Advocates.

Name of Interviewee	Their Main Argument	Ally or Enemy?
1.
2.

Reflection on Women's Rights:

1. What specific rights are they demanding?

2. Could you work with this person to reform America? Why or why not?

Category D: Religious & Other Reformers

Interview 2 Reformers (Education, Asylum, Temperance, Utopia).

Name of Interviewee	Their Main Argument	Ally or Enemy?
1.
2.

Reflection on other reformers:

1. Which of these movements (Education, Temperance, Utopianism) did you find most interesting? Why?

Part IV: Post-Summit Analysis (Debrief)

Answer the following questions to put these reformers in historical perspective. Be thorough.

Analysis Question	Your Response
1. The "Evils" List several evils that the reformers of 1820–1860 tried to eliminate.
2. The Climate What factors created a climate favorable to reform in the early nineteenth century?
3. The Vision What common vision of a better world did these individuals share?
4. Idealists vs. Practicality Would you characterize these individuals as idealists or practical reformers? Explain your reasoning.
5. Success vs. Failure To what extent did these reformers achieve success in the period 1820–1860?
6. Future Foundations To what extent did these individuals build a foundation for the realization of reforms in a later period?
7. The Perfect Match Of all the reformers you spoke with, whom could you work with in the future? Why?

Grading Rubric

Criteria	Needs Improvement	Proficient	Distinguished	Score
Profile & Research	Biography is incomplete or lacks specific detail. Formatting is messy.	Biography is complete and accurate. MLA citations are correct.	Research is thorough, nuanced, and formatted perfectly. Deep understanding of the figure.
Communication (Summit)	Student struggled to stay in character or had little to say.	Student communicated clearly and stayed in character.	Student fully embodied the persona, engaged in debate, and used the prop effectively.
Interview Notes	Notes are sparse or missing sections.	Notes are complete for all required categories.	Notes show deep listening and critical analysis of each movement.
Debrief Analysis	Answers are brief or lack historical context.	Answers are accurate and address the prompt.	Answers show complex understanding of Period 4 themes (social, economic, political).
Prop/Costume	N/A	Simple effort.	Creative and historically relevant.
			TOTAL