For many years after the Civil War, Southern states routinely
convicted poor African Americans and some whites of vagrancy or other crimes
, and then sentenced them to prolonged periods of forced labor. Owners of businesses, like plantations, railroads and mines, then leased these convicts from the state for a low fee.
What problems did the South have after the war?
The most difficult task confronting many Southerners during Reconstruction was
devising a new system of labor to replace the shattered world of slavery
. The economic lives of planters, former slaves, and nonslaveholding whites, were transformed after the Civil War.
How did the South survive after the Civil War?
Two postwar changes dominated Southern life. One was
the bewildering new world faced by the freed slaves
. The other was a new farming practice, known as sharecropping, that would ultimately make life more difficult for both ex-slaves and poor whites.
What was the condition of the South after the Civil War quizlet?
What were the conditions like in the south after the Civil War? Much of the south was
in ruins; burnt to the ground or ravaged by the many battles and frequent raids from Union Soldiers
. State governments were corrupt or nonexistent, and even after slaves were freed, they were treated terribly.
Why did the South lose the war?
The most convincing ‘internal’ factor behind southern defeat was the very institution that prompted secession:
slavery
. Enslaved people fled to join the Union army, depriving the South of labour and strengthening the North by more than 100,000 soldiers. Even so, slavery was not in itself the cause of defeat.
What major factor destroyed the southern way of life?
However on January 29
th
1861, Kansas was admitted to the Union as a slave-free state. Many in the traditional slave states saw this as the first step towards
abolishing slavery throughout the Union
and thus the destruction of the southern way of life.
How long did it take the South to recover from the Civil War?
Also, many people had Confederate money which was now worthless and the local governments were in disarray. The South needed to be rebuilt. The rebuilding of the South after the Civil War is called the Reconstruction. The Reconstruction
lasted from 1865 to 1877
.
Why did the South become poor after the Civil War?
The British planted very much cotton in their colonies, especially in Egypt and India. As a result, there was too much cotton on the world market.
The price of cotton fell
. Everybody in the South became poor.
What advantages did the South have?
During the Civil War, the South had the advantage of being
more knowledgeable of the terrain
, having shorter supply lines, and having sympathetic local support networks. They were also more resistant to the heat and local diseases.
What problems did the nation face after the Civil War?
After the Civil War, the nation was still greatly divided because the
South had been devastated physically and spiritually
. Besides the destruction of the land, homes, and cities, no confederate soldiers were allowed burial in Arlington Cemetery, and many of their bodies were lost to their families.
What was one thing Southern states had to do to rejoin the Union?
As Southern states applied for readmission to the Union, they were required
to submit state constitutions that ratified the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments
. Grant also kept soldiers in the former Confederacy.
What did freed slaves do after the Civil War?
After the Civil War, with the protection of the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments to the Constitution and the Civil Rights Act of 1866, African Americans enjoyed a period when they were allowed to vote, actively participate in the political process,
acquire the land of former owners, seek their own
…
What was the South’s greatest weakness?
One of the main weaknesses was
their economy
. They did not have factories like those in the North. They could not quickly make guns and other supplies that were needed. The South’s lack of a railroad system was another weakness.
Why did General Lee finally surrender?
Fact #4: Lee decided to surrender his army in part
because he wanted to prevent unnecessary destruction to the South
. When it became clear to the Confederates that they were stretched too thinly to break through the Union lines, Lee observed that “there is nothing left me to do but to go and see Gen.
Could the South have won?
The South could have won simply by not being conquered
. It did not have to occupy a foot of ground outside its borders. The South’s best hope for success was outlasting Lincoln, and deep schisms among Northerners throughout the war kept that hope alive.
Why did it take the North four years to defeat the South?
Because
the Union would have to invade the south
, their supply lines would be much longer, and the Confederate army’s supply lines would be much shorter. Because they would be fighting on their own land, they could take advantage militarily of their knowledge of the land.
