Final answer:
Post-Civil War Virginia cities faced destruction of infrastructure and a slow economic recovery, with some cities rebounding faster than rural areas. Reconstruction brought uneven progress and continued social strife, including racial violence and oppressive Black codes. The 'New South' emerged with industrial prosperity, but the region struggled with the legacy of the past.
Step-by-step explanation:
After the Civil War and Reconstruction, many Virginia cities, as with others in the South, faced a long and challenging road to recovery. The infrastructure, including railroads and factories, was significantly destroyed and required rebuilding. Cities near seaports and those such as Atlanta, Raleigh, Lexington, and Memphis were able to rebound more rapidly compared to the rural interiors. There was a voice among Southerners that the calamity might be a catalyst for economic diversification, moving away from an overreliance on a few crops like cotton.
Despite this, the era was marred by racial violence, most evident in the rise of the Ku Klux Klan, and the implementation of Black codes that aimed to suppress the newly won rights of African Americans. Furthermore, the South remained predominantly agrarian, and the advent of sharecropping kept many in a cycle of poverty, regardless of race, as few could afford to own land. And while some cities eventually prospered by embracing industry and diversifying their economies, this 'New South' was slow to materialize, burdened by the cultural and social legacy of the Old South. Reconstruction efforts were uneven, which contributed to a perpetual state of poverty in Southern states for generations.