The Legacy of Civil War on American Agricultural Landscape: History Assignment Essay

The Civil war fought between 1861 to 1865 is considered as one of the turning points in American history. The conflicts that led to the war were mainly based on issues such as states rights, economic discrepancies, and most importantly slavery. This war concluded with the elimination of slavery and sustenance of the Union but its repercussions extended beyond societal and political transformations. The changes brought about by the war also influenced the agriculture, impacting and reshaping the US economy, cultivation practices and land use.



Knowing the various dimensions of civil war is a must for students who study history since it shows how incidences such as the Civil War affect sectors like agriculture, which has a prominent role to contribute towards US economy even today. Many students often feel burdened by the challenges involved in deep searching, reading and determining such long-term effects when doing their history essays and assignments. At this point history assignment help services prove to be very essential. It provides sources, advisors, writers and tips for students to create powerful and informative essays on events such as the Civil War.

In this post, we are going to learn about the effect of the Civil War on the agricultural landscape of America, its consequences, helpful tips and strategies for those students who are aiming to write a compelling and high quality essay for their coursework.

The Civil War’s Agricultural Landscape: An Overview

Compared to the pre-war period, the agricultural sector in the United States was highly differentiated along the regional lines. The Southern States were mainly dependent on farming, and a large part of the work force comprised of slaves, involved in the cultivation of commercial crops like cotton, tobacco and sugar. On the other hand, the Northern states were characterized with a more diversified structure with an increasing emphasis on industrialization and small-scale family farming. This was a primary reason for the conflict as the south relied heavily on the institution of slavery while the north was evolving from slavery to wage labor and industrialization.

Slaves were transported, and by 1860 almost four million of them were offering their labor on plantations in the South and contributing greatly to the economic picture of the South and also to the global economy. Cotton, also known as King Cotton, was the most profitable cash crop at that time, and 75% of the global cotton was produced in the south American states. This agricultural system, however, required slave labor and this gave birth to the issue that culminated to war. The Civil War severely affected the system and brought the American agricultural revolution that decided the future of farming.

The Devastation of Southern Agriculture

The significant and direct impact of civil war on agriculture was the loss of farmland and physical infrastructure in the Southern region. When the Union forces drove through the Southern states, they practiced what was known as the scorched earth policy where they destroyed the economic based and infrastucture. Agricultural facilities, railway networks, among other important structures were demolished and the south’s farming industry was destroyed by the end of war.

Moreover, the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863 and later the approval of 13th Amendment in 1865 resulted into freeing the salves that the southern states relied on. Due to the inability to continue using the free labor, many of the Southern plantations were unable to produce to the levels they used to and this led to a near collapse of the agricultural business. The problem was multiplied due to the over dependence on cotton production by the southern states. As this disruption took place it also created a room for new revolution of farming practices and system that shaped America’s agriculture.

Reconstruction and Sharecropping

The process of reconstruction happened between 1865 to 1877.Sunstantial efforts were made to rebuild the southern economy and enslaved people were exposed to the mainstream. Sharecropping was one of the most significant steps taken towards development. Due to this, it became a common practice that since many of the former slaves and poor white farmers could not afford to own a piece of land, they had to rent their services to a land owner in exchange of a portion of the produce. This system gave sharecroppers a way of supporting themselves but it came with vices of monetary exploitation trapping them in debt and poverty.

The use of sharecropping, at first looked like a remedy to the problems of labor resources shortage in the south but did not contribute anything towards agricultural development or for the economic upliftment of the sharecroppers. The majority of sharecroppers remained illiterate, inexperienced in the use of appropriate tools and credit, were unable to overcome monoculture that characterized the area before the war. Cotton was still king, but it could no longer be considered as the strategic crop that thrived the economy before war.

The Rise of Mechanization and Commercial Farming in the North

During the post-war period, the recovery of the South was a severe challenge to undertake while the Northern agricultural sector underwent a different kind of change. It is, however, important to note that during the war, the Union government passed some critical legislations that would go a long way in financing the modernization of farming and expansion. One of the laws, the Homestead Act of 1862 where 160 acres of free land were allotted to those willing to develop it. This act encouraged the expansion of farming towards the western sectors and played a role in development of the Midwest region as a hub for agribusiness.

Additionally, the Morrill Land-Grant Acts of 1862 and 1890 provided creation of land-grant colleges that were specialized on agricultural education and research. These institutions were very instrumental in popularizing new farming methods and practices that led to the process of mechanization of farming in the North. Technologies such as usage of steel plough and reaping machine saw the northern farmers making more production with few laborers than in the past.

The Impact on Crop Diversification

The Civil War also influenced the farming sector by adopting farming for new kind of crops. Before the onset of the war, the southern states of America solely relied on products such as cotton, sugar and tobacco. This monocultural approach could not be sustained due to the after effects of war on freeing enslaved labor. Post war period saw tendency towards crop specialization being replaced by crop diversification whereby farmers in the South started growing more food crops such as corn and wheat.

In the meantime, Northern and Western farmers shifted towards wheat production making it one of the main staples in the Midwest and Great Plains zones. These farmers were facilitated by improved transportation through railroads, most of which were constructed during and after the war.

Long-Term Environmental Effects

It is important to discuss the environmental consequences of Civil War on agriculture as well. Destruction of of the large portions of land during the war and poor methods of managing the lands augmented soil erosion in some of the regions. Another factor which led to soil degradation was overproduction in cultivation of cotton which led to the soil becoming less fertile and therefore led to the need to explore better farming methods.

The post war also brought about the conservation movement aimed at addressing some of these environmental issues. Steady improvements in the development of land-grant colleges and the expansion of scientific agriculture contributed to a move towards more sustainable farming practices over time contributing slowly to the recovery process.

Case Studies: How the Civil War Shaped Agricultural Communities

To better understand the Civil War’s agricultural legacy, it is helpful to look at specific case studies of regions and communities affected by the war.

1. The Mississippi Delta: The Mississippi Delta during pre-civil war was one of the richest producers of cotton in the entire world. The effect of the war coupled with the abolition of slavery saw many of the plantation owners leaving their lands. To try to survive in the post-war period, the region adapted the concept of sharecropping and tenant farming which prevailed in the region in the 19th and 20th centuries.
2. The Midwest’s Agricultural Boom: The Homestead Act of 1862 granted acres of land in Midwest which led to increased agricultural production in states such as Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska among others. These states transformed to be the production hubs for American grain due to improvement in farming technology as well as widespread development of the rail roads.
3. Virginia’s Transition to Dairy Farming: After the Civil War and during the process of restoration of plantations, some of areas in Virginia transitioned from the cultivation of tobacco to dairy farming due to the decreased productivity of the labour-intensive tobacco industry. Such a transition made it possible for the state to de-emphasize on monoculture production while at the same time adopting diversified farming to remain competitive.

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Conclusion: The Civil War’s Enduring Impact on Agriculture

The ramifications of the Civil War on the agricultural landscape of the United States are significant and transformative. The South’s agricultural economy was devastated, sharecropping emerged, agricultural production became mechanized in the North, and agriculture expanded westward. The combination of all of these changes is important to comprehend so as to understand the complicated nature of the economy and the society in the post-war years.

For history students spending time working on write-ups related to this subject area, understanding the implications of the Civil War on agriculture will be essential. Therefore, history assignment help service will make the act of working on these topics easier. With the help of our experts and relevant resources, students can write amazing papers on the legacies of the Civil War on society, economy, and the environment.

For further reading, students can refer to Battle Cry of Freedom by James McPherson and Agriculture and the Civil War by R. Douglas Hurt. These books offer deeper insights into the topic and provide excellent references for history assignments.

Percy Posted on 15-Sep-2024 17:37:00