Changes in the United States after the Civil War Research Paper

Changes in the United States after the Civil War - Research Paper Example These changes are visible in political, economic as well as social fields. A new scenario was visible during this war, which had eventually changed the life of the citizens. The causes of the war are numerous, but fortunately, the changes that took place thereafter proved to be more positive than those the earlier wars had brought. This paper addresses the changes within the country after the Civil War. Thesis Statement: The American Civil War gained individuals their rights and freedom as well as brought about many economical changes that helped to shape America. The causes of Civil War were identified to be numerous but the main causes among them were found to be slavery, economic and social differences within the country, issues regarding rights of the states, and the election of Abraham Lincoln. The economic and social differences between the southern and northern parts of the country also contributed to the war, as the latter region was characterized by industrialization and urb anization while the former was an agrarian economy. The industrialized northern part had an advantage over the other and, thus, they won the war. The country’s rights were limited as the federal government enjoyed more power and this induced a protest against the federal government, therefore, causing the Civil War. ... 6). Economical Changes: The economic changes succeeding any war are found to be negative as the destruction caused by the war pull back the economic condition of a country since a huge amount of cost is involved. â€Å"The struggle to define the composition of â€Å"the people† and the republic in the new postwar and post-emancipation South was hardly settled by the American Civil War. But there was no going back. It was not just that slavery was abolished and the confederacy destroyed, but that the slaveholders’ stunning experiment in proslavery and antidemocratic nation building was over† (McCurry 2010, p. 361). Devastating economic changes were visible on both regions, but the southern part witnessed more destruction comparatively. The Civil War proved to be more costly, but later, economic transformation was mainly visible in the lives of planters, former slaves, and non slave whites. Mostly all the plantations in the southern region were destroyed in the war . Likewise, in the northern region, many big cities were destroyed including Richmond and Vicksburg. The youth labor force was less due to the atrocities of the war and therefore the country could offer only a weakened labor force. The economic condition of the country remained below the poverty line for several decades. The southern part still remained agrarian but the relation between the laborers and planters witnessed a change for the better. The major reason for this change was found to be abolition of slavery, which in turn led to a decrease in racial discrimination. The former black slaves who worked on lands owned by whites, after war, could work on their own lands. The economic changes were seen to be negative as the economic resources got destroyed during the war. Individual’s