As with any art form, architecture goes through periods--trends
fade in and out of popularity; things that were considered fashionable are
no longer so, and so on. This trend was manifested in Colonial America
through the Greek Revival of architecture.
The Greek Revival dominated the first half of the American 19th
century. Its popularity was due to a number of evident reasons. For
starters, the Greek civilization was synonymous with democracy, so it made
sense to draw a symbolic parallel to the ancient culture in the newly formed
republic. Secondly, the eminence of Greek influence ostentatiously
cut ties with England. The widespread popularity of the style soon
brought it to be called the National Style. The era was at its peak
from about 1830 to 1850 (lasting ten years longer in the South).
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