In tracing the origins of moralism, sociologist Malcolm Waters writes that "Moralism emerged from a clash between the unrestrained character of frontier expansionism, a middle-class, Protestant emphasis on respectability cultivated in small-town America and an
egalitarian and anti-intellectual evangelism among splinter Protestant groups." In the 19th century, the issues of
abolition and
temperance formed the "twin pillars" of moralism, becoming popular through Christian Churches in the United States, both
Protestant and
Roman Catholic. Moralism as promoted by some Christian denominations, such as the
Quakers, manifested in wide support for
abolitionism. The rise of
postmillennialism in the 19th century "encouraged a general culture of Protestant moralism and pushed it toward a series of social reform movements, from antislavery and abolitionism (freedom for the slaves now), to protests against Indian Removal, to antiwar and peace efforts, to women's rights, to temperance work before and after the Civil War." As such, the campaign for
women's suffrage, evidenced by the ethos of organisations such as the
Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU), was highly driven by the moralism of that era. In the latter part of 20th century, as well as the 21st century, moralists in the United States turned their attention to championing the movement to criminalize abortion care. == See also ==