What Did The Civil War Accomplish?

The Civil War’s 5 Major Accomplishments – Description

The Civil War was the most devastating event in the history of the United States of America.

But if we flip it and see the other side, we will see that it accomplished many great things for the country.

Even, decades after, its accomplishments greatly benefited the entire world.

This will not much wrong, if we say, the foundation of today’s the United States started from this great war.

Below, we have shared with you five great accomplishments of the Civil War.

I am sure, this will help you to solve your doubts about a lot of facts.

So, let’s dig in, step-by-step.

1. The Civil War Started The Downfall of Slavery

The primary cause of the Civil War was the attempt to abolish slavery legally.

On September 22nd, 1862; the 16th US president Abraham Lincoln issued a Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation freeing all the slaves throughout the country.

This proclamation was declared on January 1st, 1863. 

This proclamation encouraged the black people (mainly slaves) of the United States to raise arms against the Confederate States and fight for their freedom and human dignity.

After the victory of the Union, on 9th April 1865, the Civil War came to an official end.

In the same year 1865 in December, the American government officially declared slavery illegal through the thirteenth amendment of the US constitution.

This was a great contribution of America towards humanity, which later inspired Europe and the entire world to end this abominable crime against humanity.

President Lincoln created history with this one great move.

The Civil War not only ended slavery in the USA but also inspired millions and billions of people throughout the world to take action against this inhumanity.

2. The United States Politically Became More United

At the beginning of the Civil War, President Lincoln declared that this war was an internal matter of the United States and no other country needs to interfere in it.

At the end of the war, the southern states surrendered to the Union.

Since America’s independence in 1776, there had been many disputes over the issues of the central government and state government’s power.

But the Civil War dramatically solved these issues forever.

After the Confederate States surrender to Union, they were again included in the Union of the United States. 

This controversy was completely resolved through constitutional means that no state of the US has the right to secede from the Union.  

After the end of this dispute, the unity of the nation became stronger than ever before.

3. Birth And Rise of Modern Warfare

American Civil War is known as the first modern war in the world.

That is why, this was one of the most dangerous wars in human history, where almost 1 million people lost their lives.

Many modern weapons and techniques were used during the combats, which had no existence before.

For example, they were armored warships, artillery, gunpowder, submarines, underground and underwater tunnels, etc.

This was the first war where newspapers influenced public opinion and injured people were given quality medical services.

After this crisis, all the wars that were to be fought shortly were going to be even more dangerous.

Examples: First World War, Second World War.

4. Rapid Growth of Industrialization And Capitalism

The northern states of America were already industrialized, far before the conflict began.

Capitalism had become its primary economic ideology.

But compared to the north, southern states were not industrialized yet.

Especially, they were dependent upon agricultural production and human labor.

Hence, they had to use slaves fulfilling their economic interests.

But once the war came to an end, the US government officially declared slavery a crime and hence, it had to stop forever.

The landlords who used slaves for their agricultural activities now started moving toward bankruptcy. Because slaves now became wage-based laborers.

Northern states’ capitalists took this change as a great opportunity.

They started investing capital in southern states and it increased the use of modern machines here significantly.

It improved their production ten times greater than before, as well as it helped in rapid industrialization.

In simple words, the Civil War helped so much in making the entire United States highly industrialized and building its modern economy.

5. Women’s Empowerment

Post Civil War era, industrialization, and urbanization took a new speed across the whole of the United States of America.

This economic change touched the lives of American women too.

Although women in the north already enjoyed a liberal life; but in the south, their lives were quite conservative.

In the post Civil War era, slavery was abolished from the south; it opened a new chapter of industrialization in the entire region. 

Later its industrialization’s impact had seen through women’s participation in economic activities.

Apart from this, later, women’s education made women’s empowerment a popular concept.

Decades after, this influence spread throughout the world, including Europe and Asia.

So, these were the main things accomplished during and after the United States Civil War.

We hope, you have got some necessary information throughout this article.

Thanks for reading.