Final answer:
The statement is true; the Civil War led to significant losses in the South, both human and economic, totaling at least 260,000 casualties. Societally, the war left deep scars, with effects lasting well into the period of Reconstruction. It transformed American life, especially in political and economic contexts.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the Civil War was devastating to the South, which lost nearly one-fifth of its white adult male population, is true. The South suffered enormous human losses with at least 260,000 people succumbing to battle death and disease, while the North had over 360,000 such casualties. Moreover, there was a considerable societal impact as many children were left without fathers, and women became widows, severely disrupting the Southern way of life.
Financially, the war was a calamity, costing both sides billions, but the South faced more severe property damage and loss. Post-war, the South was politically dependent and economically devastated. This challenging backdrop was punctuated by efforts during the Reconstruction period to transform the South's social, racial, and economic structures.
The significant toll of the war and the end of slavery brought about irreversible changes to American life and ushered in new political, economic, and social dynamics that influenced the country's future.