To what Extent Was the Civil War an Important Watershed in US Social and Economic History?

The period in American history prior to the Civil War was known as the "Great Expansion". Economic boom followed the expansion of the railroads westward across the continent and southward into Florida. The Civil War punctuated Florida's growth but left it relatively unscathed. Economic growth quickly followed the end of the Civil War.
The Civil War split the nation. It was the most bitter conflict ever within the United States. The source of the conflict between the North and the South resulted from fundamentally different ways of life. Economy in the South was heavily based on agriculture and growing cotton. The North was heavily industrialised with factories and manufacturing being central to the growing economy.
Growing and harvesting cotton required large numbers of workers. In the southern states, many farmers "owned" whole workforces of slaves.
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