1. In the 1830s Ralph Waldo Emerson called for a probing exploration of American nationality in literature and art. To what extent did the writers and painters of the American Renaissance answer that call?
2. What technological advances were made in agriculture, industry, and transportation between 1830 and 1860? How did these affect the daily lives of antebellum Americans? What impact did these have on the environment?
3. "The bright possibilities rather than the dark potential of technology impressed most antebellum Americans." To what extent did Americans' lives and experiences between 1830 and 1860 justify that attitude?
4. Discuss the rise of popular culture in the period 1830-1860, including the penny press, the sentimental novel, theater and minstrel shows, and popular health and science movements. How did technological advances of the period affect popular culture?
5. How did new technology and an expanded marketplace affect artistic and intellectual life in American between 1840 and 1860? How did artists and intellectuals feel about these changes?