Start with a basic biographical overview. ABC-CLIO American History is a good place to start. Reference books might be another good place to look. Once you have that info you will have to dig deeper. In order to properly use your reformer's voice you need to find examples of their actual writings. Some of these sources can be found in the books in McCulloch. For others, it is best to look on Google Books. Also, many of these reformers have historical societies or libraries/archives based out of their birthplaces. Some of those have been included in the links section below.
Our ebook collection is very strong on American social issues. These are digitized versions of reference sources. You will find such online books as World Education Encyclopedia and Revolts, Protests, and Demonstrations in American History.