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The Civil War

Freedom and 49 other ways it changed American life

Lt. Col. Alex B. Elder, left, and unknown Civil War soldier. Corbis; Library of Congress Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. 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 Medical advances In many ways the Civil War set the stage for modern medicine, providing thousands of poorly schooled physicians with a vast training ground: 11. Modern hospital organization 12. Embalming techniques 13. Safer surgical techniques 14. Improved anesthesia 15. Organized ambulance and nurses' corps Cultural legacy The war influenced our holidays and play: 16. Juneteenth holiday, also known as Emancipation Day 17. Memorial Day 18. Thomas Nast popularizes image of Santa Claus 19. Some 65,000 books on the conflict 20. Films such as Gone With the Wind, Glory and Cold Mountain 21. More than 70 National Park Service Civil War sites 22. Centennial toys: Civil War trading cards and blue & gray toy soldiers A high-tech nation The war years brought technological advances: 23. 15,000 miles of new telegraph lines, which reached the West Coast 24. Mass production of canned food 25. Battlefield photography 26. Transcontinental Railroad Everyday things Wartime helped devise or popularize parts of our daily lives: 27. Can openers 28. Home-delivered mail 29. Left and right shoes shaped differently 30. Standard premade clothing in sizes small, medium and large 31. National paper currency Military advances In what's considered the first modern war, both sides developed equipment and tactics that would be refined in later conflicts: 32. Minié ball bullets, cartridge ammunition 33. Repeating rifles 34. First machine guns 35. Submarines 36. Hot-air balloons 37. Soldier ID tags 38. Land mines 39. Ironclad ships 40. Trench warfare Veterans legacy In its wake, the war left a system to care for and honor those who fought: 41. First national cemeteries 42. Network of soldiers' homes later becomes the Veterans Administration 43. Social care for veterans' widows and orphans Language Last but not least, Civil War slang is still with us today: 44. Carpetbagger 45. Deadline 46. Horse sense 47. Shebang 48. Skedaddle 49. Smart like a fox 50. Greenback AARP Membership — $12 for your first year when you sign up for Automatic Renewal Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine. AARP VALUE & MEMBER BENEFITS See more Health & Wellness offers > See more Flights & Vacation Packages offers > See more Finances offers > See more Health & Wellness offers > SAVE MONEY WITH THESE LIMITED-TIME OFFERS