Philadelphia in The American Civil War - Legacy

Legacy

One of the longest lasting legacies of the Civil War was the dominance of the Republican Party in city politics. Prior to the war Republicans held little support in the city, mainly for the party's anti-slavery position. Once the war was won, to many Philadelphians Democrats looked unpatriotic or foolish for opposing the war. The newfound support Philadelphia Republicans gained during and after the war allowed the creation of a powerful and eventually corrupt political machine that would dominate city politics for almost a century.

In 1861 a group of prominent Philadelphians founded the Union Club in response to pro-southern support in another social club, the Wistar Club. The Union Club became the Union League in 1863 after abolishing a limit of only fifty members. With 1,000 members by the end of the war, the Union League became a center of Republican politics and still exists as one of Philadelphia's largest and most prestigious social clubs. The Civil War also helped create some of Philadelphia's upper class. Philadelphia banker Jay Cooke made a fortune selling a billion dollars worth of war bonds. Future streetcar magnate Peter Widener amassed his initial wealth by supplying meat to the Union Army and John and James Dobson made their fortune manufacturing blankets.