Civil War Homefront
Research Paper
APUSH
April 16, 2012
After the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the almost a century old nation begins to fall apart. The situation soon worsens until it is brother against brother, cousin against cousin, north against south, and nation against nation. The debate on slavery polarized the once united country and both sides suffered huge losses in both men and property through the coming riots, sieges, and battles. Although most of the fighting had occurred a far distance from many families, the “War of the Rebellion”, as it was officially named, had immense but different effects on northern and southern families. The men were the ones who participated in the war, but the families were the force that aided them and struggled to survive and provide food and nursing. Even the children of the time were greatly interested in the war and helped their families. The Union and the Confederate States differed in more beliefs other than just slavery, and the severance allowed each side to follow their ideals on how things like taxation and government should create revenue. This new opportunity led to families in one nation to vastly profit and grow much greater than they had before, while the other laid in adversity and destruction.
In the north, more than 1.9 million men enlisted to fight in the Civil War (Gragg, 16). Most of them were leaving a wife and kids along with a business that needed to be managed. Throughout the war, women inherited the male responsibilities in the family while still having to provide food and nurture their children. Women also took jobs such as being nurses and laundresses to provide money and aid in the war. The jobs were usually only active when troops returned to their camps, but some bold women took to the frontlines to aid fallen soldiers in the midst of a battle (Gragg, 169). Still, they never ignored their original duties of taking care of the children and pets of their household.
The
APUSH
April 16, 2012
After the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, the almost a century old nation begins to fall apart. The situation soon worsens until it is brother against brother, cousin against cousin, north against south, and nation against nation. The debate on slavery polarized the once united country and both sides suffered huge losses in both men and property through the coming riots, sieges, and battles. Although most of the fighting had occurred a far distance from many families, the “War of the Rebellion”, as it was officially named, had immense but different effects on northern and southern families. The men were the ones who participated in the war, but the families were the force that aided them and struggled to survive and provide food and nursing. Even the children of the time were greatly interested in the war and helped their families. The Union and the Confederate States differed in more beliefs other than just slavery, and the severance allowed each side to follow their ideals on how things like taxation and government should create revenue. This new opportunity led to families in one nation to vastly profit and grow much greater than they had before, while the other laid in adversity and destruction.
In the north, more than 1.9 million men enlisted to fight in the Civil War (Gragg, 16). Most of them were leaving a wife and kids along with a business that needed to be managed. Throughout the war, women inherited the male responsibilities in the family while still having to provide food and nurture their children. Women also took jobs such as being nurses and laundresses to provide money and aid in the war. The jobs were usually only active when troops returned to their camps, but some bold women took to the frontlines to aid fallen soldiers in the midst of a battle (Gragg, 169). Still, they never ignored their original duties of taking care of the children and pets of their household.
The
Cited: Bates, Christopher. "Taxation during the Civil War." In Waugh, John, and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1856 to 1869, Revised Edition (Volume V). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc. Davis, Kenneth C. Don 't Know Much about the Civil War: Everything You Need to Know about America 's Greatest Conflict but Never Learned. New York: William Morrow, 1996. Print. Gragg, Rod. The Civil War Quiz and Fact Book. New York: Harper & Row, 1985. Print. "Homefront: Families North and South." The Civil War. Woodbridge, CT: Primary Source Media, 1999. American Journey. Gale Student Resources In Context. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. Marten, James. "Civil War, homefront during." In Waugh, John, and Gary B. Nash, eds. Encyclopedia of American History: Civil War and Reconstruction, 1856 to 1869, Revised Edition (Volume V). New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2010. American History Online. Facts On File, Inc.