Wartime destruction is typically seen destruction caused to cities and its citizens. Its false to say that the Union unleashed military destruction on the South. The war itself was not a total war, but a hard war, meaning that war became difficult for its citizens and the Confederate military, but was not an aim to kill southern citizens. The Union made life difficult for the citizens, by taking their economic resources; slavery. Railroads and means of communication were destroyed, property and farms were taken from Confederates and slavery became an illegal source property, after Emancipation when into effect. The Union took strategic actions against Southern civilians in the war, “First, they were actions against Southern civilians and property made expressly in order to demoralize Southern civilians and ruin the Confederate economy…” targeting its industries and transportation. …show more content…
When reconstruction began, Southern citizens faced destruction to its property and buildings; oftentimes due to burnings of the city; for example, when Richmond was burned down by the Confederates or Petersburg destroyed after the siege. Though the South was able to rise, it was never able to match the economic status of the North. The wartime destruction that occurred was devastated and burned down towns, citizens seeking new ways other than slavery to make money all while trying to adjust to Congress’s