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Question: How did the United States and Americans change during the antebellum era (1800 – 1850)?
Case Study: The United States and Americans changed during the Antebellum Era from 1800-1850 by showing advances in technology, advances towards urbanization, and the beginning of advocating for Women’s rights. An example of technology would be the steamboats that were invented by Robert Fulton in 1807. These boats revolutionized trade In America and were considered to be more “efficient and economical because they reduced the time and expense of shipping goods to distant markets” (National Geographic Society 2022). We can also visualize how far the steamboat had impacted life during this time because according to Thomas Woodcock’s journal, “Steamboats run from here to the far West. A few years?ago and this was considered as such [“the far West”], but now nothing short of the Pacific?Ocean can be considered such”. This shows how far American technology has come because now the Pacific Ocean is considered to be the “far west” (Woodcock 1836). Additionally, Woodcock wrote, “I?had expected to find it a thriving though a small place, and the buildings to be chiefly of wood,?but instead of this I found Main Street to be entirely of brick and the Stores really

splendid” (Woodcock 1836). In addition to the improvements made for buildings, Woodcock also wrote how people were going mad planning in bar rooms of hotels of “intended towns [that will be] in the same style that play bills” in Manchester (Woodcock 1836). This shows there were advances and plans being made towards urbanization and creating the foundations of a city life. Furthermore, during this era, women had taken the initiative to advocate for their rights by organizing the Seneca Fall’s convention. The purpose of this convention was to “assert that women should have equality in every area of life: politics, family, education, jobs, religion, and morals” (Wellman 2004). Lastly, the women’s right’s movement had such a large impact because the ideals expressed that all men and women are created equal and inspired others due to the ideals of human equality that should belong to everyone. During this period, whether you were a man or a woman, how would you have chosen to live your life and would you have supported the changes that were being made to your daily life? If you consider modern time changes like working remote or going to school online, there are many objections to remote work and electric cars, therefore would you be against change or for it?