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People challenged authorities of all kinds, including government and church. Religion yielded much of its former role in society to reason. There were revolutions in France and the U.S. Later, riots sought to challenge those who held power. Europeans sought freedom and independence. The 19th century was a period of emigration, particularly to the United States, where the new ideals were put into practice. The industrial revolution dislocated much of the old social order. Patronage and sponsorship were elements of the past. Neither the church nor the state had the will or the means to support and patronize the arts as they once did or to take care of the unemployed masses often rioting in the streets. Artists, who no longer had their traditional obligation to the aristocracy and the church, were free to challenge authorities. Artists and musicians became actors on the social, political, and religious scenes as they never had been before.
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The
late 18th and 19th centuries saw an awakening of
interest in Greek and Roman art, architecture, and literature. It was
accompanied by a renewed study of the political life of these ancient
people. The Roman Republic was an ideal. Great Britain modeled its parliamentarian
government on ancient Rome. Common citizens assumed new leadership in
all facets of life.