Antebellum Era Essay

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“If there is any period one would desire to be born in, is it not the age of Revolution; when the old and the new stand side by side...when the glories of the old can be compensated by the rich possibilities of the new era? This time...is a very good one.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson The Antebellum Period in American history is the time period that directly follows the end of the War of 1812 in 1814 up until the beginning of the Civil War in 1861. This time period got it’s name from the Latin word “Antebellum,” which means, “before the war.” The Civil War is such an iconic turning point in American History. The Antebellum Period played a large role leading towards the division of North and South and contributed to making the Civil War almost …show more content…

These are the five pillars of the Antebellum Period. These trends time and time again cause weak spots concerning the United States. These five social and economic trends are the topics of Market Revolution, Political Struggles, Urbanization, the Debate over Slavery, and Westward Expansion. These topics contribute majorly to the Antebellum Era and are crucial to the history of our country and having to do with how we got to were we are today. The Market Revolution was a drastic change in the economy of the 19th century. The Marketplace expanded exponentially. This marked the most significant change in American communities. This era was a time of great technological and economic innovation. The Industrial Revolution was taking off and American inventors were transforming the U.S. economy with new innovations and technological advances. The rapid development of manufacturing and improved farming had great impact on American …show more content…

Many believed in Manifest Destiny. That is was a God given right to spread Christianity and American ideals such as democracy all over the continent from coast to coast. This idea triggered over a million Americans to get up and sell their homes in the east and set out on Oregon, Mormon, Santa Fe, and California trails. Not everyone agreed with this expansion in the West. The slavery debate, once again, fueled many problems with Westward expansion. Whether to have slaves in the West, or even in the South for that matter was greatly

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