During the mid-nineteenth century, many people became dedicated to the causes of women’s rights and the abolition of slavery. Others, however, opposed these social movements. How do you judge social movements and causes in today’s world? What do you think makes a cause right or wrong? Why would you join a social movement? Why would you refuse to join a movement?

Abolition and Women’s Rights

Abolition and Women’s Rights

In the first decades of the 1800s, a coalition of Protestants made arguments grounded in scripture for the abolition of slavery. This group laid the foundation for later social movements, including the women’s rights movement. Although cooperation between churches gave momentum to these campaigns, political and religious arguments led to internal divisions, often along racial and geographic lines.