Existing comment:
A Changing Economy:
The sudden jump in the population of the city led to a scarcity of housing, and higher prices for goods, food and lodging. Temporary structures were built in many areas, and Freedmen's camps sprung up in both the city and its outskirts. The large numbers of clerks and copyists needed for the war effort brought young men and women into Washington, many of whom stayed on after the war. |