According to the text, the major paradox of American society before the Civil War was that most Americans continued to
A) believe in egalitarian democracy, even though society was becoming more stratified and the economic and social distances between the top and bottom of society were growing.
B) claim they were Christians, even though the percentage who were active church members was declining dramatically.
C) vote and have faith in the national government, despite how it almost entirely avoided the divisive sectional issues of the day.
D) think of themselves as immigrants having deep connections with Europe, even though they no longer retained any ties of culture and language with the country from which their ancestors emigrated.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The paradox lies in the fact that while Americans held on to the belief in egalitarian democracy, the reality was a growing stratification in society, with increasing economic and social distances between different societal levels.

According to the Text, the Major Paradox of American Society