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How did propaganda lead to the start of the Civil War?
Southern Use of Propaganda
The Confederate States of America used propaganda, most turning into recruitment ads, to scare men into joining the war. In the picture below, the artist sketches out a scene of what will happen in the future if the south does not fight, which is supposed to scare the men into fighting so the situation pictured will never happen. The picture may seem normal, but to a white southern male back in the day it would mean losing their slaves, partners, and having to treat African Americans like people.
Above: artist Edward William Clay draws this cartoon to represent what will happen if the south does not fight in the war against the north.
Union Use of Propaganda
Along with the South, the Union also used fear (though not as extreme), along with guilt, to jolt the war into action. The north would use pictures like the one below of slaves being mistreated and harmed to guilt the citizens into doing something about it. The artists would use mind tricks to convince the union citizens that it was their fault and they needed to stop it, almost shaming them into the war.
The north also used many patriotic symbols like eagles and flags to instill a sense of pride and convince the northerners that they were protecting their great and heroic homeland from the evil idea of slavery.
Overall Effect of Propaganda
Throughout the war, propaganda raised tensions on both sides and made situations extremeand important. It also made the two sides take the war personally as the propaganda made them feel a personal connection even deeper than what they really had. Propaganda sort of had the same affect that the media has today, both exaggerating and usually being controlled to take a certain stance and persuade the public. The sometimes graphic illustrations made people think that the worst thing possible was going to happen unless they intervened. The mind tricks fueled the flame in the war and made neither side want to settle or come to a compromise. Some was useful, while others violated Americans intellectually and spread false information. Overall propaganda was significant to the civil war because it intensified the views of thousands of citizens, raised tensions between and on both sides, and in the end brought the country back together.