The South faced severe economic and social problems after the Civil War. The region had been devastated by the conflict, with much of its infrastructure, including transportation and industry, destroyed. The labor force had been decimated, and many former slaves had limited skills or education to compete in the job market. Reconstruction policies, such as widespread land redistribution and the installation of Republican governments, also created friction and resentment among the white population, leading to increased violence and political turmoil. The region became heavily reliant on agriculture, particularly cotton, as a means of income, which made it vulnerable to economic fluctuations and natural disasters such as floods and droughts. The lack of economic diversity also hindered the region's development and contributed to its ongoing struggles in the decades that followed.
