The Civil War and Reconstruction brought a new kind of obstacle to century old nation. While still a very young country by most standards, America had thus far experienced more change than most other nations. The Civil War was simply a culmination of the tensions that had been building up between the North and the South for several decades and the relative brevity of the war allowed for a quick transition into the Industrial Era. After these two events began America's climb into the ranks of World Power that was seen throughout the 20th century.