Encompassing the period leading up to the Civil War, the interval from 1783 to 1859 witnessed the newly implemented concept of a democratically organized state. The fast growth of the national economy gave rise to a new middle class not founded on pedigree while the acquisition of new territories provided many opportunities for immigrants to seek their fortunes. As the colonies expanded into a country, writers and artists began to describe a national character in their works. Above all, the institution of slavery overshadowed the country's daily and political life and the battle for its abolition began to divide communities. Characterized by social upheaval and moral reform, this period in modern American history preceded one of the most significant battles fought on American soil: the Civil War.

 

This book is part of a book series called Handbooks To Life in America .

This book is aimed at children in secondary school.

There are 275 pages in this book. This book was published 2009 by Facts On File Inc .

General editor Rodney P. Carlisle earned his B. A. in history from Harvard and both his M. A. and Ph. D in history from the University of California in Berkeley. He is a former chair of the history department at Rutgers University in Camden where he taught for more than 30 years specializing in 20th-century history. Carlisle is now professor emeritus there. He has written and edited many articles and more than 10 books on history, including The Thirties in Facts On File's Day by Day series