After the Revolution that gave the United States an independent nation status, they began to established a view of themselves, religion affiliations, and social strata. “With a new generation of leaders, the Republican Party” came to “embrace the principles of government activism and the development of large-sale domestic manufacturing” providing the United States with wealth and financial stability. In Religion, the America Revolution must be seen as a struggle for religion no less than civil liberty(1), and social strata was defined by European immigrants, Native Americans, and slavery. North and South states were driven by economic differences and slavery, resulting in the Civil War of 1861. From the beginning, The United States has been defined as a “cultural melting pot” where diverse groups have contributed to a society who advocate for freedom.
The thirteen states were built by business and trade in the north, plantation-style agriculture in the south, and the adventure of the frontier. Americans had distinct lifestyles geographically separated. In the north was predominate younger immigrants from northern European countries, entrepreneurs looking for good business opportunities. Their life style was driven by maritime trade, cold weather, and a lot of drinking. On the other hand, in the south states a plantation-style economic foundation gave them wealth on the expense of a slavery labor force, which provided them with servitude. Consequently women had more time to educated themselves, have many children, and develop a taste for the arts including Shakespeare's plays which by “the nineteen century had become an integral part of America culture”(2). The comic way in which the plays were performed was easy for all to understand, “becoming part of the nation’s folklore”(3). Also for Literature and arts, it was class-bound and intrinsically anti-egalitarian(4). For the Frontier, there were the interaction of Americans with Native Americans who were viewed as national enemies(5). But the development of railroads facilitating the expansion and establishment of new towns all the way to the Pacific Ocean, Native American populations were isolated in to some areas after many conflicts and resistance.
Religion in America got its wings. Running away from European prosecution many groups moved to America in search of religious freedom. Considered to be the “second great awakening” during the end of the 18th century, Americans no longer professed traditional Christian beliefs(6). These groups had distinct religious view and life styles. For instance the Evangelicals of New England formed missionary societies who travel to the west, the American Bible Society were educators and civic leaders, and the Baptist who had no formal organization, were farmer-preachers that promoted religious gather with in their boundaries. Some of this groups like the Shakers and Oneida communities went as far as to demand celibacy, cancellation of marriage on behalf of a common life, and arranged marriage in favor of a pure breed. Only prominent groups survived and appealed to followers establishing their faith up to today, some examples are the Roman Catholics and Evangelicals.
Social Strata was a consequence of a mercantile wealthy society. In the north, slavery and Native American conflicts were not as prominent as it was in the south, and they also saw black men as equal in regards of fishing, including Whale fishing for production of oil. Slavery being the most unequal reason in the south providing for the development of cotton industries, fueled the conflict between north and south, escalated to war proportions resulting in the Civil War. Cultural background, religion, and social economics can promote diversity but also find common ground. Americans came together to prosper and be free, what ever freedom means.
Footnote:
(1). Gaustad, Edwin., and Leigh Schmidt. The Religious History of America, 121.
(2). Levine, Lawrence. Highbrow Lowbrow, 15.
(3). Levine, Lawrence. Highbrow Lowbrow, 18.
(4). Deloria, Philip J. Playing Indians, 75.
(5). Deloria, Philip J. Playing Indians, 43.
(6). US Department of State publication, Outline of America History, “Second Great Awakening”, April 2008.
Conflict seemed to be everywhere in the new Republic. The one place that seemed to bring everyone together was the theater. Perhaps it was the only entertainment around in many areas, but for a time all classes of people could be seen together enjoying Shakespeare. “The theater was one of those houses of refuge in the nineteenth century where the normative restrictions of the society were relaxed and both players and audience were allowed “to act out themselves” with much less inner and outer restraint than in prevailed society”. Of course leading up to the civil war the tensions became more heated on many subjects and the sanctuary of the theater was soon to join in the discussion. “This dramatic split in the American theater was part of more extensive bifurcations that were taking place in American culture and society”.
ReplyDeleteGisele,
ReplyDeleteI was surprised by how many colonists from the lower class were aware of Shakespeare’s vast amount of works. It shows how influential his plays were in defining the cultural history of America in both the pre and post Revolutionary War periods. The comic way of interpreting Shakespeare that you were talking about was only achievable if the audience was familiar with the original plays. Even as books became popular methods of experiencing Shakespeare, the theaters still remained the favored cultural method for entertainment. “The theater, like the church, was one of the earliest and most important cultural institutions established in frontier cities.” [1]
1. Lawrence W. Levine, Highbrow / Lowbrow: The Emergence of Cultural Hierarchy in America (Cambridge: Harvard Press, 1988), 18.