Cultural Life in Early Nineteenth Century America

User Generated

wwbfrz19

Humanities

MUL 2380

Description

5 page research paper

User generated content is uploaded by users for the purposes of learning and should be used following Studypool's honor code & terms of service.

Explanation & Answer

Attached.

Introduction
The 19th century changed all aspects of America. It gave America what is regarded as
modern American culture. During the early 19th century, the country shifted from agrarian, rural,
economically reliant, partly enslaved, and otherwise comparatively homogeneous, to industrial,
urban, economically influential, liberated, and comparatively heterogeneous. Typically, it was in
the 19th century that Americans incorporated consumerism and corporate capitalism, and that,
especially, has had a lasting effect. Culture entails to the means in which individuals
acknowledge themselves and interact with other individuals and elements in the environment.
Aspects such as immigration, labor disputes, poverty, and women attempting to have their place
in the society greatly impacted the 19th century. This paper will address the cultural life that
significantly shaped the 19th century America.
I.

Changes in the Overall American Society

II.

Women and the Family

III.

Feminism in the 19th century

IV.

The Status of Free Slave

V.

Class Formation
Conclusion
In conclusion, 19th century America witnessed a number of social and cultural elements

and changes. During the early 19 century, women were regarded as second-class citizens and
were not allowed to exercise their basic rights such as voting. The place of women was at home
engaging in house chores and bearing children. Nonetheless, men were allowed to work in
factories and interact with other men in public places. This norm prompted women to fight for

their rights hence the beginning of feminism in the 19th century. Free slaves were also banned
from exercising their rights and were treated as inferior human beings as compared to their white
counterparts.

Social class stratification was also rampant in the early 19th century, and

individuals were grouped as upper class, middle class, and lower class members.


Running Head: CULTURAL LIFE IN EARLY 19TH CENTURY AMERICA

Cultural Life in Early 19th Century America
Name
Instructor
Institutional Affiliation
Date

1

CULTURAL LIFE IN EARLY 19TH CENTURY AMERICA

2

Introduction
The 19th century changed all aspects of America. It gave America what is regarded as
modern American culture. During the early 19th century, the country shifted from agrarian, rural,
economically reliant, partly enslaved, and otherwise comparatively homogeneous, to industrial,
urban, economically influential, liberated, and comparatively heterogeneous. Typically, it was in
the 19th century that Americans incorporated consumerism and corporate capitalism, and that,
especially, has had a lasting effect. Culture entails to the means in which individuals
acknowledge themselves and interact with other individuals and elements in the environment.
Aspects such as immigration, labor disputes, poverty, and women attempting to have their place
in the society greatly impacted the 19th century. This paper will address the cultural life that
significantly shaped the 19th century America.
Changes in the Overall American Society
The economic development between early to mid-19th century was depicted in changes
in American society. These changes were obvious in the northern parts of the nation, where
combined impacts of the transportation, urbanization, revolution, and the growth of
manufacturing were intensely felt. In the northern parts of America, a trivial, wealthy portion of
the population controlled a substantive division of the economy, whereas the working poor, who
were majorly immigrants owned little to no wealth. In spite of the ‘grass-to-grace’ stories that
were rampant during the early 19th century, fortune remained centralized in the hands of the few
elite. Furthermore, opportunities for social mobility were restricted, although personal income
was increasing. Indeed, some craftsmen moved to the middle-class level by becoming manages

CULTURAL LIFE IN EARLY 19TH CENTURY AMERICA

3

and owners of large farms and factories. Unfortunately, most skilled labors found themselves as
permanent income earners with no hope for progression (Stowe, 2017).
Women and the Family
In the early 19th century, the legal status of women was basically the same as it had been
during the colonial era. Even though New York allowed married women to own properties, other
states limited their women from owning and controlling property. The inception of
industrialization considerably shaped the society. Because of the growth of manufacturing,
commodities that were once produced in the home and that gave an essential source of extra
income were produced in industries and sold at a relatively lower price. Instead of contributing
to the maintenance and economic well-being of their family, women were anticipated to establish
a conducive and favorable environment in the home, whereas their husbands became the
breadwinners and interacted with the external environment. An essential component of this norm
of ‘separate spheres,' was the responsibility of women to prepare the children to adulthood.
Certainly, during the early 19th century, women had fewer children in order to
extravagant their attention. In the ...


Anonymous
I was struggling with this subject, and this helped me a ton!

Studypool
4.7
Trustpilot
4.5
Sitejabber
4.4

Similar Content

Related Tags