Title: How the Civil War Changed America | World History
Headings: How the Civil War Changed America
How the Civil War Changed America
Unfettered Industrialization in Post Civil War America
Immigration and the Continuation of the Westward Movement
A Unified Nation versus States’ Rights Government
Defining the Role of the Federal Government

Content: Just as the Westward Movement was not interrupted by the Civil War, neither was immigration. The new wave of immigrants coming from Europe included Italians, Poles, and other Eastern Europeans, anxious to leave the battlefields and political turmoil of Europe. Jews in Russia and the Baltic regions were being persecuted while disease and famine in Italy led many to seek a new life in America. Immigrants satisfied the need for unskilled factory workers. A Unified Nation versus States’ Rights Government
The Civil War shifted political power from the various states to Washington, DC. Although state legislatures wielded some power, the burgeoning federal government decided policy through the Congress working hand-in-hand with business concerns. At the same time, the Republicans after the Civil War represented the party of victory. Historian Lewis Gould, referring to post-war Southern politics, writes that, “…The still strong passions engendered by the Civil War and the race issue made the Democratic Party…the only choice for white voters in most sections of Dixie.” As the Civil War continued into the mid-1860’s, war goals also changed. For Lincoln, it became necessary to destroy the Southern social and political systems when it became apparent that military victory alone would not result in unconditional surrender.