The Civil War was a significant American historical event. In the North, social conflict arose between the rich and the poor. In the South, slavery was abolished after Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves were to be free. The war shattered the bonds that society held together between the different classes of the whites. The Civil War was considered a “Rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight.” This idea was …showed first 75 words of 454 total…

…showed last 75 words of 454 total…with the beginning of the Reconstruction. The 14th Amendment was appealed, helping to turn blacks into official citizens of the United States. It also provided for national citizenship and forbade states from depriving citizens of equal protection of the law. There were still a number of questions that needed answers. Would slaves overused their powers, since Congress had granted them rights? The nation would face a challenge in the future. Next stop was the Reconstruction.