Explain Why and How the Role of the Federal Government Changed as a Result of the Civil War with Respect to Two of the Following During the Period 1861-1877:  Race Relations, Westward Expansion, Economic Development

When President Lincoln entered the Civil War in 1861, his only goal was to preserve the union while the abolition of slavery was a possibility if it didn’t stand in the way of the preservation of the union. Prior to the Civil War, race relations had mostly been left under the jurisdiction of states. Individuals such as Jefferson and Madison advocated the importance of state rights and introduced the concept of nullification in their Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions. Such ideas were later embraced by Calhoun in response to the Tariff of Abominations in 1828, and the idea of possible secession became a true idea in the Nullification crisis of 1832. However the maintenance of balance between free and slave states in congress brought slavery to the national forefront, and number of compromises, including the one of 1850, required the cooperation of urging regions.

In terms of economic development, the civil war and reconstruction Era was a boom for industry in the North. New industrial innovations continued to be made and factories became prolific in cities in the North. Since progressive reforms were yet to be made, factory owners were able to exploit their workforce, which had become primarily immigrant by the 1870’s, and gain the greatest profit. In addition, better communication systems in the North had helped in securing a Union victory. Railroads, canals, and turnpikes connected various parts of the Northern and Western regions.This period of time would open the door to nearly half a century of unlawful practices by railroad owners including pooling and monopolies. The federal government took a Laissez faire stance in terms of economic development, and the supreme court consistently began to cue in fewer of big businesses. The civil war era and reconstruction period set the stage for private industry tot thrive and to further satisfaction amongst American economic classed. Additionally the federal government played a further role in economics by advocating