What was the reaction to the government adding Sliver as a standard in 1890?

Free silver was a major economic policy issue in late 19th-century America. Its advocates were in favor of an expansionary monetary policy featuring the unlimited coinage of silver into money on-demand, as opposed to strict adherence to the more carefully fixed money supply implicit in the gold standard

Briefly explain how ONE specific event, development, or circumstance in the period of 1860-1866 that is not explicitly mentioned in the excerpts could be used to support Medford's argument. south had less slaves to participate in the production of resources for the confederate army