Answer:
The role of the federal government changed significantly after the Civil War. Some of the main ways it changed include:
1.Increased power: The federal government gained significant new powers as a result of the Civil War amendments to the Constitution, particularly the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship and equal protection under the law to former slaves, and gave African American men the right to vote.
2.Protecting Civil Rights: The federal government took a more active role in protecting the civil rights of African Americans and other marginalized groups. The Civil Rights Act of 1866 and the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871 were passed to enforce the 14th and 15th amendment.
3.Nationalization of the economy: The federal government played a more active role in the national economy, particularly with the passage of the National Banking Acts of 1863 and 1864, which helped to create a more stable and unified national currency. The government also passed other legislation such as the Pacific Railroad Act of 1862 and the Morrill Land-Grant Act of 1862, which helped to spur economic growth and development.
4.Expansion of the welfare state: The federal government expanded its role in providing welfare and other social services to citizens, particularly with the passage of the Pension Act of 1890, which provided pensions to veterans and their families.
5.Federal intervention in state affairs: The federal government took a more active role in intervening in state affairs, particularly in the South during the period of Reconstruction, in order to ensure that the rights of African Americans were protected and to enforce the Civil War amendments to the Constitution.
Overall, after the Civil War, the federal government played a more active role in protecting the rights of citizens, nationalizing the economy, and providing welfare and other social services. It also took a more active role in intervening in state affairs to ensure that the rights of African Americans were protected.