Thursday, September 29, 2016

List five economic problems that the South faced following the Civil War.

After the war, the South had myriad  economic problems.  These included no more slaves, little industry, no money, ravaged lands, and a relatively uneducated workforce.  The South had a primarily agricultural economy, which was dependent upon free manpower, the slaves.  Once the slaves were free, for agriculture to continue, people would have to be paid to work the land.  But the South's coffers were empty because of the war.  Plantations had been used to house the sick or had been commandeered by the north, so there was little in the way of assets that could even be used as security.  Fields were ravaged, and entire cities were burnt and had to be rebuilt.  Taxation was of little use because no one had money.  The industrial economy was mostly in the north, so there were few factories for people to work in.  Changing from an agricultural to an industrial economy requires enormous investment in money and training.  There were only a few educational institutions of significance in the southern states, most of these being in the northern states.  This meant that a professional class was significantly underdeveloped as well.  It is almost easy to feel sorry for the South, until one remembers what a cruel and ugly institution slavery was.  

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