Question

select the correct answer
how did the civil war influence the beginning of american realism?
a. most soldiers came from the middle and lower classes, and americans wanted to know more about them
b. with the onset of industrial and scientific advances, americans no longer believed in the supernatural
c. with all of the death and destruction from the war, americans wanted to escape into an ideal world
d. despite the industrial and scientific advances, americans still believed in the supernatural.

Explanation:

The Civil War coincided with industrial and scientific growth. These advancements made people rely more on rational explanations (science, industry) rather than supernatural beliefs. Realism, which focuses on depicting life as it is (without idealization or supernatural elements), was influenced by this shift in mindset. Options A is not the main influence related to the start of realism. Option C is about escaping (more like romanticism's opposite, not the cause of realism). Option D contradicts the influence of industrial - scientific progress on the decline of supernatural belief which was a factor in realism's rise.

Answer:

B. With the onset of industrial and scientific advances, Americans no longer believed in the supernatural