How did architecture reflect the ideals of social reformers in the mid-nineteenth century?

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

One style of architecture embraced during the mid-nineteenth century was that of ancient Egypt. Architects involved in the rural cemetery movement looked to ancient Egypt for its representations of death. As a result, cemeteries of the time often included obelisks. Ancient Egyptian architecture also added a somber, grim aspect to public buildings like prisons.

Greece was another source of architectural inspiration, due to its struggle for independence from the Ottoman Empire. Greece, the birthplace of democracy and the current location of a fight for independence, mirrored America's broad democratization and its fight for independence from Britain. In contrast to the highly decorative Greek styles of the day, the Shakers embraced an aesthetic that reflected their values of simplicity and functionality.

Finally, the Gothic Revival of the 1840s and 1850s reflected the idea that architecture could transform and uplift individuals. Gothic Revival homes drew the eye upward, toward heaven, and echoed the power of nature.