Map of United States showing the many train lines of the Southern Railway system after the Civil War © 2012 The Exploration Company Railroads in the South were few before the Civil War. By the time it was over, most were destroyed. What does this map demonstrate? railway building was a priority in the South during and after Reconstruction little progress was made in repairing the structural damage of the Civil War more people focused on building new factories over repairing railroad lines the only new railroads built were those connecting the North to the South