Essay Prompt: What were the 3 most important social changes in the United States, circa 1870s-1900s?

Question

Reed or Ms. Sue, if I do the one for the 3 most important social changes for an essay do you think i could talk about the bungalow craze/arts and crafts movement, National American Woman's suffrage Association of 1890, and women's christian temperance movement, and maybe a fourth of women's voting rights and how it affected women socially and the rest of society socially?

Answer 1

Those are all good ideas, TayB. I wonder if a design movement had great social impact, in the sense that it changed society, but if you can make the case, go for it. The women's suffrage movement had been going on since the 1850s and wasn't fulfilled until 1920, so its impact in the three decades (1870s-1900s) is debatable, except it was kept "on the burner," so to speak. The WCTU also was an on-going movement that didn't come to fruition until the 19th amendment after the four decades your assignment asks you to consider.

It might seem that the Progressive movement of the 1890s-1900s had a much greater impact on society than anything else. Also consider the Spanish-American War, which got the United States more involved in "world affairs" than anything else prior to it. Looking back at the 1870s, the development of railroads after completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869 had a huge impact. I'm sure there are others, too, that you might consider.

Ms. Sue may have ideas I haven't thought of. She's probably not on at this late hour, her time. I'll ask her to take a look at your post in the morning. Look it up again to see what her thoughts might be, if she has any.

Answer 2

A further thought on the temperance movement. It really started back in the 1830s, the time of the Second Great Awakening. It was building acceptance in the 1870s-1900s, and did result in Prohibition (the 19th amendment). So how it was influencing society is certainly valid. As a matter of fact, my great-great grandmother and her daughter, my great-grandmother (whom I knew very well when I was a kid) were deeply into the temperance movement. It certainly had an impact! Even then, it's impact didn't work out so well, since people who wanted to "drink" did it anyway and Prohibition had to be repealed as a failure. The impact was significant at the time, but didn't last.

Progressivism and involvement in "foreign affairs" did last, down to our own time. And so did the railroads west of the Mississippi, in that it speeded and influenced the development of all that vast territory between Missouri and California.

Answer 3

"3 most important social changes" -- be sure to check them ALL out!!

http://www.google.com/search?q=bungalow+craze+arts+and+crafts+movement&oq=bungalow+craze+arts+and+crafts+movement&aqs=chrome..69i57.8581j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8

http://www.google.com/search?q=National+American+Woman%27s+suffrage+Association+of+1890&oq=National+American+Woman%27s+suffrage+Association+of+1890&aqs=chrome..69i57.1374j0j7&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8#q=National+American+Woman+suffrage+Association+of+1890&spell=1

http://www.google.com/search?q=women%27s+christian+temperance+movement&oq=women%27s+christian+temperance+movement&aqs=chrome..69i57.1203j0j9&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=119&ie=UTF-8

PS --- What's the difference between the 2nd and 4th items you asked about?

Answer 4

Reed, I know that the bungalow houses helped so women could be able to do stuff outside of the house i believe.