How Did The Civil War Change America

It was November 19, 1863. Lincoln stood on a platform in the midst of a battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania and spoke these words: "...we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (Abraham Lincoln Quotes). In Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, he explains that the soldiers, who fought so bravely in the Civil War, did not die without cause. Instead, they fought to change America for the better in multiple ways. There were a number of reasons for the Civil War, however, the unplanned realities which arose from this conflict, would bring new challenges and innovations for the United States. Among these changes, the Civil War developed America’s literary style,
Eli Whitney’s invention of the “jig,” which made interchangeable parts for firearms, brought on the idea of mass-production factories (Tackach, p. 153). These buildings would allow for many more products to be made in a short amount of time. The factories influenced the fashion industry by being able to create uniforms, dresses, and work clothing for people all across the country. In order to hold the loads of factories, industrial plants were placed in big cities like Chicago and New York (Hakim, p. 78). Along with mass-production and standardization came various new inventions. The Civil War “released enormous energies, new drives, and know-how” to help produce new technology in America (Tackach, p. 153). In 1874, Joseph Glidden invented barbed wire to keep the cattle from wandering out of a settler’s land (Hakim, pp. 72-73). Cyrus McCormick brought the Industrial Revolution to the farm with his invention of the reaper, which cut and harvested grain. McCormick taught farmers how to use his machine and guaranteed the men that the invention would work By 1880, McCormick’s invention was produced by his factory in Chicago—100 machines a day (Hakim, pp. 76-77). Thus, even though the war was brutal and brought many troubles upon America, it encouraged further inventions and an improved
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