Freedom's Ferment: Phases of American Social History to 1860

by Alice Felt Tyler

Freedom's Ferment was first published in 1944. Minnesota Archive Editions uses digital technology to make long-unavailable books once again accessible, and are published unaltered from the original University of Minnesota Press editions.

In this historical synthesis of men and movements, Alice Felt Tyler shows in action the democratic faith of the young American republic. She tells the stories of the reform movements and social and religious experiments characteristic of the early half of the nineteenth century.

The early efforts toward social and economic equality — later engulfed in the urgent issues of the Civil War—are here depicted and interpreted in their relation to the history of American thought and action.

Freedom's Ferment divides the movements of the early 1800's into two groups: the cults and utopias of varied origins and the humanitarian crusades. A wave of revivalistic religions swept the country. Here is the story of the Millerites, who believed the end of the world would come on October 22, 1844, of the Spiritualists, Rappites, the Mormons, the Shakers.

Many experiments in communal living were instituted by religious groups, but others were entirely social in concept. Life at Brook Farm, in Robert Owen's colony, in the Oneida Community, and a score of others, is interestingly reconstructed.

Humanitarian reforms and crusades represent the other phase of the movements. Tyler, "exasperated by all the silly twaddle being written about the eccentricities" of the early American republic, shows these movements and the leaders—event the crackpots—as manifestations of the American creed of perfectibility.

Prison and educational reforms, work for delinquents and unfortunates, crusades for world peace, temperance, and women's rights flourished. All to be overshadowed by the antislavery movement and submerged temporarily by the Civil War.

Freedom's Ferment pictures the days when the pattern for the American way of life and the fundamentals of the American faith were being set by crusaders who fought for righteousness. The changes in out social picture have altered the form of the humanitarian movements but not the purpose.

Interpretative and critical, the book show the ferment of the period and the urge to reform, found in every phase of life, to be the result of the fusion of religious freedom and political democracy.

Genres: History, American History

608 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1944

Reviews

[Czarny Pies · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Le ferment de la liberté" (Freedom's Ferment) est essentielle pour le lecteur européen qui veut comprendre le développent de la pensée et de la culture américain. Tyler en tant que bonne anglo-saxonne ne se sert d'aucun grille d'analyse marxiste ou autre. Tyler nous offre des constats et des histoires. Sa conclusion est simplement qu'entre la guerre d'indépendance et la guerre civile les États-Unis étaient une grande cuve ou on brassait une nouvelle bière culturelle. Le point fort de ce livre est que Tyler connaissait fort bien quelles étaient les ingrédients dans la cuve et quels étaient les buts des brasseurs.

Le siècle des lumières avait beaucoup d'influence sur les gentilshommes révolutionnaires tels que Jefferson, Franklin, Adams et Washington. Cependant, les idées des philosophes n'ont jamais pénétrer le grand public américain. La grande majorité des Américains a l'époque étaient des protestants fervents qui se laissaient guidaient par leurs prêcheurs autodidactes. Comme le protestantisme a l'état pur ne respecte ni le statut quo ni la théologie, le premier phénomène de nouveau pays a été un vague d'enthousiasme religieux qui a donne naissance a un pléthore des nouveaux religions: le mormoninsme, le shakerisme, l'eglise adventiste du septieme jour, les transcendentalistes, etc.

Cependant ces anglo-protestantes étaient non seulement obsèdes par le salut de leurs âmes, il voulaient aussi améliorer la terre des hommes. La deuxième moitie du livre se consacre aux causes réformistes dans lesquelles les américains se lançaient dans la première moitie du dix-neuvième siècle: la lutte pour l'émancipation de la femme, pour un traitement humaine des indiennes, pour abolir l'alcool, etc. Cependant la lutte la plus féroce a été celle qui voulait abolir l'esclavage. Malheureusement les politiciens n'ont pas trouve une solution politique a ce problème gigantesque et il a fallu la guerre civile de 1861 a 1864 pour régler la question.

"Le ferment de la liberté" (Freedom's Ferment) est un grand livre d'une Américaine qui connaissaient très bien les gens de son pays. Il explique brillamment les luttes des idées américaines entre leur guerre d'indépendance et la guerre sécessionniste.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first this book in 1987. I found it just as wonderful & insightful now as I the first time. I consider "Must Read" for people interested in the antebellum history of the United States.

[Theresa Leone Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting social history of the United States from the colonial days up to the Civil War. The first half of the book covers the different forms of religion in the United States early in the country's life, everything from evangelical life to the different communities that set themselves up as a sort of utopia for their believers, like Bronson Alcott's Fruitlands. The father of the author, Louisa May Alcott, thought a community in which everyone worked, all life was cherished, including that of animals, and only fruit would be consumed, would be a great idea. It certainly sounds great! Unfortunately, it did not work out. The Shakers have a long chapter devoted to them, but the ones I thought most interesting were the ones I knew nothing about previously. Others, like the Mormons, I of course knew about but did not know the long and rather sordid history behind them. The second half of the book deals with other facets of American social history, like the care given to the mentally ill, the history of the American prison system, and most interesting for me, as I am a teacher, is the history of public education. I already know it, from graduate school, but it is a topic that for me never gets boring. Finally, of course, slavery is discussed at length, leading the book right up to the period of time it ends, just before the war breaks out. I enjoyed Tyler's book very much and would definitely recommend it.

[Bradley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book makes you love the country though you can't stand the scene, to paraphrase Leonard Cohen. A detailed history of Utopian experiments, along with any other quirky cultural stuff that happened after the Civil War. Hard to find, but a must read for any American.

[Darlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent college textbook I'm glad I kept. Today I found exactly the tidbit of information I needed. Let's hear it for old school research!

[Beth Piatkowski-cadenhead]

I registered a book at BookCrossing.com!
http://www.BookCrossing.com/journal/13544624