How did the civil war affect the north?
How did it affect the south?
Establish a time frame: are you looking at the immediate effects during the civil war, or are you examining a certain time following? If not specified, choose this yourself and be clear in stating this. Examine the possibilities of different effects and their relationships to each other. Ideological paradigm shifts? Political restructuring? Labour concentration in given areas of work shifting to other areas resulting in increase/decrease of employment? Population?
Take a look at these points, and discuss the similarities and differences as well.