What event contributed significantly to the widespread practice of embalming in the U.S.?

The American Civil War played a crucial role in popularizing the practice of embalming in the United States. During the war, there was a significant increase in the number of casualties, leading to a pressing need for the preservation of bodies. Many soldiers were killed far from home, and families desired to have their loved ones returned for burial. Embalming became a method to preserve the deceased during transportation over long distances.

The rise in the number of fatalities highlighted the necessity of preserving bodies to allow time for their return, which resulted in embalmers becoming an integral part of the military and later civilian funeral services. The techniques developed and widely used during the Civil War, along with the visibility of embalmers, helped establish embalming as a common practice in the years that followed.

The other events listed, while significant in various contexts, did not have the same immediate impact on embalming practices in the U.S. For example, World War I brought changes to funeral practices but did not initiate the widespread act of embalming like the Civil War did. Similarly, the Great Depression affected people's ability to pay for elaborate funerals, which may have limited some types of embalming, and while the Industrial Revolution contributed to advancements in technology that influenced funeral service,