The Civil War was a very important part of our nation’s history. It most importantly marked the end to slavery. Although during reconstruction the south looked very different in social and political aspects, after reconstruction the south looked very similar to how it did before the war. The only major difference was that slaves were now free, and even this didn’t change blacks’ status in the south. The economy of the south was still mostly dependent on farming after the war, as it was before. As the states that separated were allowed back into the union, the national government began to look more and more like it did before the states separated. Although the blacks were now free, the social structure didn’t even change much. All in all, the structure of the south was quite similar to how it was before the civil war.
Before the Civil War southern economy was based mainly on agriculture. Huge plantations produced much of the crops that fed the nation. Blacks brought over from Africa worked these plantations. Whites less well off settled smaller farms and had fewer slaves. The crops that were grown were sold in markets close by because transportation was difficult. The one major change in t
he economy of the south after the war was that there was no longer a free labor source. Slave owners lost a huge investment when the slaves were freed. They now had to find a new labor source, which came in the form of freedmen and poor whites. The plantations looked very similar after the war to how they did before the war, except that the slave quarters were dispersed throughout the plantation instead of in a row. This symbolized the freedom they gained. The crop lean system sprang up after the civil war. This system was intended to help poor farmers obtain the supplies and tools they needed. These poor farmers often turned to cash crops because substance farming was not profitable. Even growing cash crops, these farmers often ended up with huge, which grew until finally their land was taken, and they were forced to work for plantation owners. Their role became similar to that of a slave. A positive change that occurred in the economy was that a national market was created when the railroads swept across the country. This stimulated the economy and limited the need for imports. After the war, the economy of the south still focused on agriculture and was centered on huge p
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