Evaluate the extent to which the Civil War fostered change in the US economy in the period 1861 to 1900.

The American Civil War had a major impact in American economy; while the North flourished, the South was left in ruins. The South, an agriculutural society, lost its ability to exploit profitable slave labor. Furthermore, most major battles were fought on Southern land, meaning many of its cities and farmland were destroyed. While this generated employment during reconstruction, it was also an extremely costly project for Southern government. The North, meanwhile, experienced the creation of industry for the first time. Vigorous entrepreneurs flourished, and America, for the first time, saw a shift from small-scale profits to nationwide manufacturing projects (i.e. the railroad boom).