Another question that gave a lot of my students grief on exams:
What post-bellum event led to the first concerted reconciliation efforts between the North and South? Why?
The Spanish American War?
Correct. It was the War O' 98. Now why? What elements in that war drove the reconciliation?
A common foe, imperialistic nationalism, and so on and so forth. It was the first instance of significant numbers of US troops being in the south since Reconstruction. Lots of southerners and northerners fought together and formed relationships. Plus, with no standing army to speak of, the government was still heavily dependent on volunteers and HAD to foster a feeling of reconciliation to get the south fully on board and behind the effort.
