The Civil War left a lasting impact on the United States, shaping the next several decades for the country. In this course, you’ve learned how the course of the war, important battles, and the plans for reconstruction after the war ended. Write a 2000 to 3000-word essay based on one of the prompts below.
1. Imagine that the Southern states had succeeded in seceding from the Union. How would the Confederacy have fared as an independent nation? How would success have affected their relationship with the North as westward expansion continued? How would the Confederacy have established international relationships? Consider the resources they had as a country, their economy, and the policies of Jefferson Davis and his government.
2. The effects of the Civil War didn’t cease with the end of the Reconstruction Period. Connect and consider how the changes during the Reconstruction era affected the efforts for equality in the U.S. through the Civil Rights era to the present.
3. While the Civil War had an indelible mark on U.S. history, the resolution of the war had consequences for many other foreign nations that were dealing with the issues of slavery and expansion. Assess how the end of the Civil War affected the global slave trade and the prominent powers in Europe.