8.5 Society and Culture Before the Civil War

Horace Mann believed that reforming the American educational system was important because

• it would help people get better jobs.

• it would help the fight to end slavery.

• It would help in the fight for gender equality.

• it would help people become better Christians.

What key role did capitalism play in the Industrial Revolution?

• Capitalists set up offices in the state capitals.

• Capitalists supplied the capital or money, that mill and factory owners needed.

• Capitalists borrowed government money to build houses.

How would a scarcity of natural resources affect the supply of goods to a market?

• It would decrease the supply of goods.

• It would increase the supply of goods.

• It would make shipping at the ports easier and faster.

How did the use of interchangeable parts contribute to the Industrial Revolution?

• The use of interchangeable parts made the government wealthy.

• Interchangeable parts were made so quickly and cheap that they always broke and were not reliable.

• By speeding up the production of goods, the use of interchangeable parts made factories more efficient and profitable.

Why could artisans command higher wages while other workers could not?

• Artisans paid more to the church so they demanded more wages.

• Artisans worked harder than everyone else so they demanded more money.

• Artisans possessed special skills that factory owners needed and that could not easily be replaced.

How did the invention of the cotton gin lead to an increase in slavery in the South?

• The cotton gin enabled farmers to produce more cotton. Cotton had to be planted and harvested by hand so more slave labor was needed.

• The cotton gin made all farmers in the United States rich.

• The cotton gin was an amazing invention that made slave labor unnecessary.

What advantages did the South have in terms of the physical environment over the North?

• The South had a lot of physical factories so they were able to produce more tools.

• The South had more land available for agriculture, and a warmer and often wetter climate.

• The South had less physical people than the North.

What was significant about Seneca Falls for the women's rights movement?

• It was where women publicly demanded equal rights.

• It was the site of the first college willing to admit women.

• It was the first time women were allowed to vote in a local election.

What was the Underground Railroad?

• Railroads that were underground to be hidden from slave owners.

• A network of routes that helped African Americans escape the South with safe places to hide and conductors to help them.

• A secret route that helped slaves visit their families in the North.

What was the MAIN reasons that many German immigrants moved west soon after arriving in the United States?

• To seek economic opportunities.

• Freedom of religion.

• They had a hard time learning English.