Final answer:
The South faced over 9,000 percent inflation by the end of the Civil War, far exceeding the North's 80 percent, due to the Confederate government's monetary policies and shortages.
Step-by-step explanation:
During the Civil War, the North experienced an inflation rate of about 80 percent due to government-issued greenbacks losing value and the scarcity of consumer goods. In the South, the situation was much worse due to the Confederate government's monetary policy, shortages of goods, and less efficient internal transportation. By the closing months of the war, the inflation rate in the South had escalated to over 9,000 percent. This meant that what could be purchased with $1 in 1861 would require $100 in Confederate currency by 1865, demonstrating the severe depreciation of their currency and the dramatic increase in prices.