The North and the South were both anxious about adding new states on either side in worry that this would disrupt the equal balance of Northern and Southern Senators. Somewhat of a modern example would be the Republican worry of D.C. statehood overrepresenting Democrats.
The classical heritage of Rome, the customs of various Germanic tribes and the belief of the Roman Catholic Church were the three roots of medieval culture in Western Europe.
With new found resources, more people wanted to join the sciences and arts. With that much resources into science, what we knew exploded into so much more.
