The Civil War had a big impact on the American people. One impact is that it split families. There were families who had members fighting on both sides of the war. Some of these divided families faced the death of family members from the fighting on both sides of the war. This issue also divided families whose members saw the critical issues in different ways.

Many friendships also ended as a result of the Civil War. People who lived and worked in Washington, D.C. who were from the South had to leave the capital to return to their home states. This ended many social and political friendships. Additionally, individuals lost contact with friends in each region. It wasn’t safe to travel between the North and the South. Mail service was no longer reliable.

Many northern farms got raided by Confederate rebels during the war. These rebels came to the North in search of food. They would raid these farmers in order to get needed food supplies. Toward the end of the war, the South was totally destroyed by the Union armies. There was devastation throughout the South.

Two other impacts were the loss of life and the emotional toll the war took on people from both sides. Over 600,000 Americans died. It was difficult for Americans to accept that they would kill each other because they couldn’t agree on issues. From the founding of our country up to the Civil War, we were able to resolve our differences peacefully. It was an emotional blow to see Americans fighting Americans. The Civil War had a tremendous impact on our people.