Katelynn Sutton

Jana ⅓
11/16/18
Final Honors Essay #4

What were the major consequences of the Civil War and Reconstruction?

The Key to the Future

The Civil War’s bloody battles were only the beginning of resolution of conflict and

reparation of the United States of America. After four years of ongoing conflict between the

North and the South, the United States ratified the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.

However, the ideological divides between the North and the South on the issues of slavery and

government policy persevered and would take more than a war to resolve. The presidential and

congressional Reconstruction that followed sought to reconnect and rebirth the United States of

America. The Civil War and Reconstruction led to fundamental change in the American

economic and political system. The main consequences of the American Civil War were: 1) An

increase in black people’s political power, 2) Economic reform, and 3) A rise in the power of the

federal government.

In addition to the emancipation of slaves, black people were also given more rights as

citizens and voters. The 13th amendment was followed by the 14 and 15th amendment, which

defined citizenship and granted voting rights for black people. The 14th amendment gives

citizenship to all those born or naturalized in the United States, including former slaves. It also

guarantees every citizen “equal protection of the laws”. Prior to the 14th amendment, slaves were

not considered citizens nor were they protected by the law. They were viewed as property or

seen as less than. Granting emancipated slaves citizenship gave them basic human rights and

legal protection. The 15th amendment granted voting rights to all men, regardless of race or
previous state of servitude. This constitutional law gave black people more power in politics. In

the years following the 15th amendment, black people helped bring the Republican party to

power. Many black people supported the republican party due to its support of the rights of

freedmen. Black men in congress reflected the same opinion. In fact, all African American

congressmen between the 1st black congressmen in 1869 and the 45th in 1933, were Republican

(​Biographical Directory of the United States Congress).​ As you can see, the mobilization of

black people in politics was one major effect of Reconstruction.

Slavery had formed the basis of the American economy. After it was abolished, the U.S.

had to reform its economic system. Plantation owners lost most of their laborers, and freed slaves

were now looking for jobs. The wealthy plantation owners saw this as an opportunity to bring

free black people back to work in the fields. In the 1870s, sharecropping, or tenant farming was

invented, in which a landlord rents out shares of their land to tenants who harvest the crops. The

tenants in turn get to live rent-free and receive a share of the crops they harvest. Although

sharecropping came to replace slavery in the South, it was not nearly as profitable. The labor was

no longer free of cost, which lead to a significantly smaller profit margin for many plantation

owners. In fear of going out of business, many landlords maintained high interest rates and gave

tenants very little of the crops. This trapped lower class white and black tenants in the fields and

created a vicious cycle of poverty in the South. However corrupt sharecropping may have been,

it was responsible for replacing slavery and preventing a complete crash in the Southern

economy.

While the agricultural Southern economy suffered after the Civil War, the industrial

Northern economy thrived. After the South was integrated back into the Union, there was a push

to connect agricultural areas to industrial ones through railroads. Construction of railroads

boomed immediately after the Civil War. This provided jobs and wide profit margins all across
the industrial North. Railroad mileage increased by 50% between the years 1873 and 1881 (US

Census Data). The increase in railroads also lead to an increase in demand for coal and steel,

opening up jobs in factories and adding to the prosperity of the Northern economy. Many

Southerners fled to the North to get jobs in coal and steel factories, as the conditions of the South

at the time were miserable. Food shortages, inflation, destruction of property, and overcrowding

was common in the South. The slow collapse of the agricultural industry due to the abolition of

slavery foreshadowed the demise of Southern plantations and the rise of industry in America.

The Civil War lead to an increase of power in the federal government. During

reconstruction, the majority of Congress was radical republicans, who were generally in favor of

federalism and abolitionism. Because of the overwhelmingly republican Congress, the 13th, 14th

and 15th Amendments were easily passed. These amendments exercised the power of the federal

government by imposing federal policies that detracted from states rights. Prior to the Civil War,

it was in the individual state’s power to protect or deny the rights of certain citizens. The

amendments following the end of the Civil War established that the federal government should

be held responsible for protecting citizens rights instead of leaving it up to the states. This

created a fundamental shift in the dynamic between state and federal government.

The Civil War and reconstruction forever changed the United States political and

economic system. The 13th, 14th, 15th Amendments helped increase the political power of black

people. The abolition of slavery lead to a shift in the economic system of the North and South.

Lastly, the federal government grew more powerful while states’ rights became less prevalent.

Although the immediate federal policies put in place during reconstruction were positive for

black people, the post-reconstruction era resulted in an increase in violent crimes directed at the

black community and continued their oppression. Impossible literacy tests to determine voting

eligibility were given to minorities and Jim Crow laws further alienated and suppressed black
people by segregating them from white people. Although slavery ended 200 years ago, the

United States is still healing from the damage that slavery has caused. The history of black

people in America can teach one a lot about tensions and structures in place today. Although

some view the past as irrelevant in present day, many suggest that investigating the past is the

key that unlocks insight of the future.

Sources:

Gertsle, Gary. ​“The Civil War and State-Building: A Reconsideration.” ​The Journal of

the Civil War Era​. <​https://www.journalofthecivilwarera.org/forum-the-future-of-reco

nstruction-studies/the-civil-war-and-state-building/#_edn14​>

Holcombe, Randal G. “Federal Government Growth Before the New Deal ” ​The

Independent Institute,​ The Independent Institute.

<​www.independent.org/publications/article.asp?id=360​.>

“How did Civilians Suffer?” ​Virginia Museum of History & Culture,​ Virginia Museum

of History & Culture. <​https://www.virginiahistory.org/collections

-and-resources/virginia-history-explorer/american-turning-point-civil-war-virginia-1/ho-0​>

https://history.house.gov/Exhibitions-and-Publications/BAIC/Historical-Data/Black-American-R

epresentatives-and-Senators-by-Congress/

“Sharecropping.” ​PBS​, Public Broadcasting Service. Unknown publish date.

<​www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/sharecropping/​>

US History Editors. “Tipping the Scales Toward National Power.” ​Ushistory.org​,

Independence Hall Association <​www.ushistory.org/gov/3b.asp​>

​ & E Television Network. November

9, 2009. <​https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/fifteenth-amendment​>