Title: How did the Civil War change the United States? - eNotes.com
Headings: Aftermath and Impacts of the Civil War
Aftermath and Impacts of the Civil War
How did the Civil War change the United States?
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Content: Our certified Educators are real professors, teachers, and scholars who use their academic expertise to tackle your toughest questions. Educators go through a rigorous application process, and every answer they submit is reviewed by our in-house editorial team. David Morrison
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The eminent historian Shelby Foote once said that, in the aftermath of the Civil War, the United States was no longer referred to as "are," but "is." In other words, the United States was now, for the first time in its history, conceived of as a political unity rather than a collection of states. To be sure, this process had been proceeding gradually for some time as the Federal government steadily arrogated more power to itself at the expense of the states. But in the aftermath of the Civil War, the centralization of power in the United States rapidly advanced and has remained a feature of American political life ever since. Although various governments have returned certain powers to the states—for instance, the provision of welfare—this has only been done on a piecemeal basis. The real power still resides at the center. This is one of the most abiding legacies of the Civil War, which fundamentally altered the political and constitutional balance between the Federal government and...
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