
Lt. Col. Alex B. Elder, left, and unknown Civil War soldier. — Corbis; Library of Congress
Political and social impact
No other conflict has so profoundly changed our society:
1. 13th Amendment: slavery banned
2. 14th: citizenship for all born in the U.S.
3. 15th: voting rights for all male citizens regardless of race
4. Women's rights gain momentum
5. 1862 Homestead Act passed
6. Censorship of battlefield photos
7. Reconstruction laws passed
8. Ku Klux Klan organized
9. Jim Crow laws passed
10. Federal law trumps states' rights
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