The Civil War had a multi-faceted effect on Charleston, South Carolina. Following the American Civil War, Charleston's economy, agriculture, slavery, architecture, and way of life were forever changed. Charleston, the site of great devastation during and after the American Civil War, took decades to recover. However, Charleston has become the most beautiful city in South Carolina. The American Civil War greatly affected Charleston's agriculture. During the Civil War, as Charleston's Confederates were leaving the city and Federal troops were entering the city, the Confederates burned and blew up many of their own supplies (including cotton, rice, and munitions). The Confederates made this drastic choice to prevent the Union, once they attacked the city, from obtaining the supplies needed to help them win the war. In Charleston, barely a plantation remained fit for planting after the Civil War. The agricultural system around Charleston survived thanks to freed African American slaves and poor whites who knew how to care for the crops. The hardy farmers continued to fight on their own, and somehow they held on to their piece of land and made it produce again (History of SC Agriculture). Then the American Civil War almost destroyed the great architecture of Charleston's beautiful buildings. On July 10, 1863, the Union Army began its attack on Charleston and fighting continued for nearly two years. Many people lost their lives during the fighting and the bombing destroyed many buildings (“Charleston Surrendered”). Between the initial bombardment and the fire, when the Union bombarded Charleston, the fire was so great that it virtually destroyed Broad Street. Traces of the fire are still visible today. T...... middle of article......on slave labor as it clung to an agrarian economy: relying on plantations and farms to support its economy (Hicks 13, 14, 17). On January 1, 1863, President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed all slaves under Confederate control (Varhola 224). In conclusion, the American Civil War had a dramatic impact on Charleston in many ways; agriculture, slavery, architecture, lifestyles and certainly the economy. Charlestonians have proven that they can overcome dire circumstances and become a vital, economically healthy, and productive society with beautiful gardens, stunning architecture, and a vibrant lifestyle that encourages travel and promotes cultural diversity . As the American Civil War caused great hardship and seemed to devastate Charleston in the 1860s, Southern pride and determination prevailed over adversity..