THE CIVIL WAR: Life During the Civil War

Lives of Soldiers: The Reality of War  In both, N & S, civilians and soldiers suffered throughout the war  At start, men on both sides rushed to enlist  Not so much the case later  Most of time, soldiers lived in camps  Had pleasant moments Songs, stories, letters, games, etc.  Mostly dull… drills, bad food, marches and rain  Reality of war not far away though  Suffered terrible losses New weapons fired w/ greater accuracy & distance  Med facilities overwhelmed w/ casualties & wounded After Shiloh some waited in rain for 24+ hours waiting for treatment!!! Many died waiting in agony  b/c of horrors, many deserted  1 of 11 Union soldiers  1 of 8 Rebs Rebs faced extreme lack of food and supplies

Women in the War: Background  b/c of war, many women took on new roles  Teachers, office workers, salesclerks, gov’t workers, factories, farms, etc.  Suffered losses of husbands, fathers, brothers, and sons  Performed many jobs to help cause Rolled bandages, wove blankets, made ammo, etc.  Children helped too Collected food, clothing, medicine, raised $$$, etc.

Women in the War: Life at Home  N saw war from distance  Most battles in South  News and letters kept them up to date  Every woman who stayed home suffered  Dailey life changed but… N faced little disruption S was drastically changed though Battles in back yard and blockade disrupted life If in path of war, lost homes and crops  War rages on, shortages become common  South ran out of everything Feed for animals, salt for curing meat, clothing, medicine, and shelter What had went to soldiers first, too! 2w

Women in the War: Spies Like Us  Some woman became spies  Harriet Tubman spied for N  Rose O’Neil Greenhow Entertained Union leaders in N & sent info to the S Later caught, convicted of treason, & exiled  Belle Boyd informed Rebs of Union mvmts in VA  Some even became soldiers!!!  Loretta Janeta Valázquez Fought for Rebs at 1 st Battle of Bull Run & Shiloh Later becomes a Reb spy Dude looks like a Lady!!! Loretta Janeta Valázquez dresses as man to fight for Confederacy at Bull Run and Shiloh

Women in the War: Treating the Sick & Wounded  First time, Civil War saw women become nurses  By the 1,000’s  Drs. did not approve at first  Women too delicate  Considered it man’s work  Improper for women to tend to bodies of unknown men  Dorothea Dix  Organized many women in North as nurses  Clara Barton  Became famous for her work w/ the wounded in North  Later founds “The American Red Cross”  Sally Tompkins  Est hospital for wounded soldiers in South  Nursing hard work  Women did a remarkable job  Ironically leads to stereotype of women only as nurses, not men!

Opposition to the War: Background  The war efforts faced opposition on both sides  Politicians objected to wartime policies  Citizens protested the affect on their lives  When war began, Dems split into 2  1 side supported Lincoln’s war policies  The “Peace Dems” wanted to negotiate instead Warned policies would lead to social change & revolution Also appealed to racist Northern whites Many believed they were secretly aiding the Rebs  Lincoln ordered the arrest of anyone interfering w/ the war efforts habeas corpus  This meant suspension of habeas corpus, guarantees accused the right to a hearing b4 being jailed

Opposition to the War: Enlistments Decline  War drags on… number of volunteers declined  Getting enough soldiers becomes a problem  Both try something new  April  Rebs pass draft law Requires men b/t age of to serve in army for 3 years Could get out by paying money  Yanks tried to get volunteers by offering bounties  March bounty system fails and Yanks turn to draft  All men b/t ages had to register Names drawn, but could get out by paying $300  Draft laws upset many  Protests erupt into riots… Worst in NYC in July 1863 Mobs in NYC burned, looted, and killed in protest After 4 days, 100+ were killed Yanks brought in to stop it  Nothing as bad in South, but… habeas corpus  Davis suspends habeas corpus too  Made rebs mad… feared lose rts went to war for in 1 st place!!!

War and the Economy  War strained both their economies  North had better resources Better able to cope than South  Both Union and Confederates funded war w/ loans, taxes, printing money  Union borrowed 2 billion  Rebs borrowed 700 million  Both imposed new taxes N passes income tax in 1861, South too, but later  Neither way gave enough money, so… Began printing extra paper $$$ Leads to inflation  During war, prices rose faster than wages  Caused great hardships for people  Northern Econ booms  Econ based on industry  Steady supply of factory-made products needed Production grew in response to demands of war Army needed many items Food, guns, ammo, shoes, uniforms, etc. Industrial Revolution machines help produce w/ lower work force Bkgd.The North Prospers

War and the Economy: Economic Troubles in the South  Often called 1 st modern war  Required total commitment of resources  Impacts all aspects of life everywhere  Much more devastating in the South though  South struggled Had little industry to make what they needed Most fighting in the South Farmland destroyed & rail lines torn-up too South lay in ruins, 1,000’s homeless Blockade caused severe shortages in essential goods Food riots in Atlanta, Richmond, & other cities Inflation worse in South too Prices rose 9,000% in South!!! Only 80% in North  Conditions affected soldiers Worries about families caused many to desert “We are poor men and are willing to defend our country, but our families (come) first.”