![lt= Photo of John Brown](/subjects/images/Activists_landing.jpg?maxwidth=650&autorotate=false)
Human beings are inherently conservative, tending to resist change until change becomes unavoidable. This habit has survival benefits, as too rapid a change can be dangerous.This is why most social reformers were ignored by most Americans in the early decades of the 19th century. But in 1861, change became unavoidable.
Last updated: April 23, 2015