consequences of the American civil war

• before the civil war


  the US government was made up of representatives from the north and south - they both had different views on the West land

  south views - relied on slave labour for their plantation farms - they wanted slavery to be legal in the West as it was legal in the South

  north views - wanted the new West states to be free of slavery, they wanted farms to be worked by free individuals not slaves
• in 1861 - the Civil War was triggered - 7 southern states left the USA and set up their own confederacy

  after 4 years of fighting the Union (what was left of the USA) defeated the confederacy and the 7 states re-joined the USA

  600000 had died, 400000 were injured

  southern states = devasted slavery was over
• during the civil war the northern states ruled the US government - without the souths opposition, they passed two laws off that had major impacts on the development West
• after the war the economic problems and social changes in the south led to further migration west as many migrants were ex-soldiers and former slaves. the new laws which were passed made it easier and more appealing to settle their
• the 2 new laws ;

  1. The Homestead Act of 1862
  2. The Pacific Railroad Act of 1862