In your notes, list two ways each of the following factors impacted society and culture before the Civil War:
economic systems
technological and scientific innovations
urbanization
immigration
reform movements
Economic Systems:
1. Capitalism:
- Increased competition and market efficiency.
- Widened the wealth gap between the rich and the poor, leading to social unrest.
2. Slavery:
- Provided economic stability and prosperity for the Southern states.
- Deepened racial divisions and perpetuated exploitation and dehumanization.
Technological and Scientific Innovations:
1. Industrial Revolution:
- Boosted manufacturing and productivity, leading to economic growth.
- Created significant environmental and social challenges with pollution and poor working conditions.
2. Transportation advancements (railroads, canals):
- Facilitated faster and cheaper movement of goods and people.
- Stimulated trade and connected previously isolated regions.
Urbanization:
1. Growth of cities:
- Fueled economic development and provided job opportunities.
- Resulted in overcrowding, crime, and unsanitary living conditions.
2. Development of infrastructure:
- Enabled the expansion of cities and improved transportation systems.
- Led to the displacement of indigenous communities and destruction of natural ecosystems.
Immigration:
1. Cultural diversity:
- Enriched American society with new languages, traditions, and perspectives.
- Fostered discrimination, nativism, and conflicts over resources, jobs, and cultural assimilation.
2. Labor force:
- Supplied cheap and abundant labor, fueling industrialization.
- Experienced exploitation, discrimination, and harsh living and working conditions.
Reform Movements:
1. Abolitionism:
- Challenged the moral and ethical foundations of slavery.
- Sparked debates and tensions, leading to the division between the North and the South.
2. Women's suffrage:
- Advocated for gender equality and political rights for women.
- Changed societal perceptions of women's roles and transformed family dynamics.