Final answer:
After the Civil War, white women were more likely to be given lenient sentences due to gender biases in the justice system, reflecting broader challenges in achieving civil equality.
Step-by-step explanation:
The trend for white women post-Civil War in regard to incarceration generally leaned towards them being given more lenient sentences compared to their male counterparts. In England, during the 1800s, laws were applied differently based on gender, with women often barred from receiving a death sentence for crimes men could be hanged for, illustrating the gender biases present in legal systems of the time. Women's rights activists fought hard for civil equality, addressing laws that enforced dependency on male relatives and championed equal moral standards and legal treatment. However, in terms of voting rights and political influence, women found their progress stymied by amendments that extended civil rights to African Americans but codified the exclusion of women from such liberties.
In response to the student's question regarding the trend for white women after the Civil War, we can surmise their experience with the justice system still included gender-based discrepancies. Given the historical context of women receiving more lenient treatment and being excluded from certain harsh punishments, the most likely answer would be that they were given more lenient sentences assuming they were incarcerated at all for non-violent crimes.