LIFE DURING THE CIVIL WAR Soldiers and Civilians How did the war affect people and politics of the Civil War?
The Sullivan Ballou Letter Letter Why did Sullivan go to war? What did he have to give up in order to fight? What possible horrors might soldiers have to face during the Civil War?
The Life of a Soldier Soldiers spent ¾ of their time in the camp 10 hours a day training When not training stood guard, wrote home, gathered firewood, or took part in other leisure activities Food was scarce: meals were often hardtack a dry cracker-like product
Desertion a huge problem: 300,000 to 550,000 deserted during war 1/3 to ½ a unit often missing Draft laws had to be established (required military service) Became called “poor man’s fight” because rich could avoid draft
Buy Your Way Out of Military Service
Prisoners of War 10% of soldiers killed during war died in prison camps Worst were Elmira, New York and Andersonville, Georgia Often held double their capacity with lacking food supplies 100 prisoners per day died of starvation, disease, or exposure
Union Prison Camp at Andersonville, GA
Distributing “Rations”
Union “Survivors”
Divisions in the North and South In South, North Carolina and Georgia opposed the war most Northern Democrats opposed to the war called “Copperheads” Found mostly in (Ohio, Illinois, Indiana) Protested war and helped prisoners of war escape Both Lincoln and Davis had to suspend Habeas Corpus
Economic Strains In North Union started income tax (tax on money people receive) Started printing paper money-led to inflation (80%)
In South Because of Union blockade, even hirer inflation in South Food production fell because Union destroyed crops and fields
Women Took over family farms or worked in factories Opened up barriers to women, especially in field of nursing Elizabeth Blackwell became 1 st female physician Clara Barton became nurse on battlefield (known as angel of the battlefield)
How was life made difficult by the war for … Soldiers?Civilians?
Andersonville: The Movie