Teaching the role of religion in U.S. history: the Social Gospel and civil rights

Project (M.A., History)--California State University, Sacramento, 2012.The role of religion in United States History is often neglected in the teaching of eleventh grade curriculum. Leaders and individuals with religious convictions strove to improve society and influenced political and social dynamics throughout American history. The Social Gospel Movement serves as one example of religious influence on social reform movements such as woman suffrage and the Civil Rights Movement. The inclusion of the role of religion in teaching eleventh grade history also can serve for incorporating historical thinking into the classroom.\ud Information in magazines, local newspapers, sermons, prayers, and books, serve as primary source material. Analysis of the role of religion through the works of religious leaders provides insights into the significant role religion had on social movements regarding the rights of women and African Americans in the United States.\ud The Social Gospel Movement influenced the development and outcome of arguments regarding woman suffrage and civil rights for African Americans. The role of religion can be incorporated into the eleventh grade curriculum throughout the year by using primary resources. The inclusion of primary documents by religious leaders provides students with a more complex understanding to the context of historical events and demonstrates the continuity of the role of religion in American politics and society.Histor