Transcendentalism · US History

What was the Transcendentalist view of the Industrial Revolution?

  1. They celebrated it as the ultimate triumph of human reason and progress
  2. They invested heavily in factories, railroads, and mills to help fund their movement
  3. They were generally wary, fearing it fostered materialism and eroded the spirit
  4. They believed it would eventually make organized religion unnecessary
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Correct answer: They were generally wary, fearing it fostered materialism and eroded the spirit

Transcendentalists worried that the focus on machines and 'getting and spending' was distracting people from their spiritual lives. Thoreau, in particular, viewed the railroad as a symbol of the frantic, meaningless pace of modern life.

Difficulty: Medium Question 18 of 19

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