Did the US Civil War set back or move forward the development of the US

[SunTzu]

Alot of times u hear that wars either set back a country or push it forward(like the US in WW2). What impact the the US Civil War have on the US?

 

[Xen]

It propelled the U.S forward, as it set the precedent for new defensive statagies (basic trench warfare), and new tactics, and weapons to defeat it (grenades for insence), along with bring forth the age of the iron ship, which the world has benifited from greatlly

 

[SeleucusNicator]

It certainly pushed us forward. It all but eliminated sectionalism as a consequentially detrimental divisive force and set new standards for the strength of the executive branch.

 

[MrPresident]

Much further. It freed the American South from the economic prison that was slavery, though share-cropping wasn't much better. It created a much stronger union in which the federal government was undisputed king. It allowed American politics to go beyond simple sectionalism. There was the usual technological advances (ambulances for example) as in most wars. Having said that a lot of young Americans died and there is no way of telling what their impact on the country would have been. Losing an entire generation is never good. Overall I have to say though that the American Civil War set forward the development of the United States.

 

[Richard III]

Forward!

 

[Moss]

Richard stole my response, but I'll repeat it, FORWARD.

 

[Gingerbread Man]

From the lurker -

Wars generally puch development further during their duration, as they create jobs and stimulate the economy.

After a war, the number of jobs drops dramatically, and there are alot more people looking for them, so other industries are explored and expanded to try to keep the economy going.

We are doing the effect on Australia's economy in WWI, and the above at least happened then. You could only assume that in the US civil war did the same.

 

[onejayhawk]

Diligent activity is almost never completely wasted. To have a war be a long term negative there needs to be a moral or psychological blot associated with it. Look at Germanies defeat in WW I. It propeled them into a completed industrial retooling. Through hardship and death of course, but ultimately to a better future.

In the American Civil War large industries were developed to supply arms and supporting material of all kinds: food, bedding, fabric, and above all railroads and steel. The great industrial magnates of the late 19th century built their empires on military foundations converted to civilian use.

J

 

[Archer 007]

Forward! It was the start of modern military tactics and was a key to maximiming industrial production.

 

[Benderino]

Definetly forward. It allowed America to discover some of her greatest generals and commanders. As well as pushed industry way ahead. Everything, except the South, went way up. However, even the South was fin a decade or two later.

 

[donsig]

The Civil War propeled the US forward. In addition to the many reasons noted above, the war finally resolved the debate over which transcontinental railroad route should be built. While it was not built until after the war, it took only four years to complete it. Without the war who knows how long this would have taken and how long it would have taken to open the west.

For that matter, without the war, how would the slavery issue have been resolved and who would we have put on our five dollar bill?