US History
Fort Burrows
17.4-- Hardships of War
The demands of war hurt civilians as well as soldiers on both sides, but the problems were worse in the Confederate states.
Copperhead – northerner who opposed using force to keep the southern states in the union
draft – law requiring certain people to serve in the military
habeas corpus – the right that no person can be held in prison without first being charged with a specific crime
income tax – tax on people’s earnings
inflation – a rise in prices and a decrease in the value of money
profiteer – person who takes advantage of a crisis to make money
tactic – a plan for reaching a desired result
vital – extremely important
The Hard Life of Soldiers
S Young soldiers; most under 21; boys were forced to become men
S A lot of marching and training; sleeping on the ground – dry or wet
S Technology; cone-shaped bullets shot straighter and entered the body easier;
exploding cannonballs; 1/4 of the soldiers were wounded or killed in the battles
S Poor medical conditions led to infection, disease, arms and leg being amputated
S Prisoners of war died from disease and starvation
S These conditions led to desertion and disgrace
S 1 out of 7 Union soldiers and 1 out of 9 Confederate soldiers deserted
¿¿ Summarize conditions soldiers faced during the war…
______
Opposition to War in the North
S Some Northerners opposed using force to keep the South in the Union
S Supporters of the war called these people Copperheads
S Some Northerners supported the war effort, but opposed the way Lincoln was waging war
µ The Draft Law
¶ As the war dragged on, Northern support dwindled – remember this war was supposed to last about 90 days according to the enlistment policy
¶ In the beginning of the war, the North offered ‘bonus’ money to enlist
¶ Some abused the system; ( leave it up to only a few to ruin it for the group )
enlisting, collecting the bonus money, and then deserting the Army
¶ This caused a shortage of volunteers to serve in the Union Army
¶ 1863, Congress passed a draft law; requiring all able-bodied men between the age of 20 and 45 to serve in the military
¶ A clause in this draft law allowed a man to pay the government $300 not to be drafted or
hire someone else to serve in his place
¶ This law angered many people
¶ They called it, “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight”
µ Riots in the Cities
¶ People that opposed the draft law staged riots in Northern cities as protest
¶ White immigrants were being forced to fight in a war over slavery
¶ They also feared competition from free African Americans for jobs
¶ New York City, 1863, four days of rioting; whites against blacks
¶ Rioters also attacked rich New Yorkers – angry that the rich paid money to avoid serving in the Union Army
¶ At least 74 people were killed during the four days of rioting
¶ Lincoln took a stand to end the rioting; he suspended habeas corpus putting many rioters in jail
¶ Lincoln believed the Constitution gave him the power:
“When in the case of rebellion or invasion, the public safety may require it”
¶ Nearly 14,000 were arrested; most were never charged or brought to trial
¿¿ Why were some people against the draft laws ?
______.
Problems in the South
S Confederate President Davis tried to create a strong federal government for the Confederacy
S State’s righter’s resisted paying taxes to central government
S Georgia even threatened to secede from the seceded Confederacy
*** Possibly a DOUBLE secession, indeed this was a mixed up group of state leaders
S The South also passed draft laws
S Their law had special clauses also; if you owned 20 or more slaves, you did not get drafted
S The majority of southerners did not own slaves; they opposed the draft
S The South had run out of white men to maintain the Army
S Lee wanted enslaved African Americans to serve in the Army… REALLY?
S Confederate Congress finally agreed with Lee
S But the war ended before any slaves were forced to fight… so that they could help the South win… and be allowed to remain enslaved…WOW! Mental Giants
The Northern Economy
S The Civil War cost more money than any previous war
S The Union was creative in the ways it raised needed dollars
S The war did actually help the Northern economy
µ Taxation and Inflation
¶ Congress created the 1st income tax on its citizen’s earnings
¶ A new agency was born: the Internal Revenue Bureau
(today we call this the IRS – Internal Revenue Service)
¶ The North sold war bonds
¶ Still not enough money, so they did what our Texas Daddy did…..
just printed more paper money – $400 million dollars worth
¶ When you print too much paper money, the dollar value drops
¶ As the dollar decreased in value, the businesses just charged more for their goods and services
¶ This action caused inflation and it still does today
¶ The cost of goods eventually doubled in the North
µ Economic Benefits
¶ The war helped the Northern economy
¶ Farmers were fighting not growing food
¶ Technology improved; allowed fewer workers to produce more goods
¶ Demand for clothing, shoes, guns, and other goods increased
¶ Northern manufacturers made fortunes becoming profiteers because of the government s demands… also at the expense of their fellow citizens
The Southern Economy
S The war caused the South’s economy to ruin
S The cost of waging a war; buying supplies, paying soldiers, etc.
S Blockade prevented the exporting of cotton, the main and only source of revenue
µ The Economy Suffers
¶ The Confederacy also imposed an income tax and a tax-in-kind
¶ Farmers were required to give 1/10 of their crops to the government
(tax-in-kind - they took crops because the farmers had no money for the income tax)
¶ The South also printed paper money; which caused inflation
¶ By 1865, a Confederate dollar was only worth two-cents in gold
¶ A barrel of flour cost $275
¶ Potatoes cost $25 per bushel
¶ A pound of butter cost $15; today butter cost about $3 per pound
¶ Davis tried to force Britain into siding with the South
¶ He halted all shipments of cotton to Britain (really the blockade did this)
¶ This backfired, Britain began buying cotton from Egypt and India
¶ The only hurt came to the South in loss of income
µ Effects of the Blockade
¶ The Northern blockade very effective; caused severe shortages in the South
¶ The army had to wait weeks for food and clothing
¶ No factories; the South bought its weapons from Europe
¶ The blockade cut-off deliveries from across the Atlantic
¶ The Confederate government began building and operating factories
¶ Contracts were offered to private manufacturers; they were given draft exceptions for their workers if the companies would make goods for the war effort
¶ Civilians suffered food shortages
¶ Plantations switched from cotton (which they could not export anywhere) to growing grain, wheat, corn and livestock; animals for food
¶ Cotton production was REDUCED
Women in the War
S Once again, women from both the North and South played vital, important roles
S Men went to war and women took the industry and farm jobs
S Women’s societies helped supply food, clothing, and medicine for both sides
S In the North, women held various fundraisers to help pay for needed supplies
µ Nursing the Wounded
¶ Likewise, women on both sides worked as nurses
¶ As wounded soldiers arrived in the hospital, more and more women worked in Army
hospitals
¶ They performed their jobs so well, that after the war women were actually welcomed into this previously male dominated profession
¶ Nurses for the Union:
¶ Dorthea Dix, known for prison and mental illness reform, Union nurse
¶ Clara Barton, who founded the American Red Cross, Union nurse
¶ Sojourner Truth, African American antislavery leader, Union nurse and also
worked in the camps for freed slaves
¶ Nurse for the Confederates – Sally Tompkins; not only was she a nurse for wounded Confederate soldiers, she also was instrumental in opening a hospital in Richmond
¶ These four women are given credit for opening the door for all future women to work in
the male dominate medical field
¿¿ How did the women contribute to the war effort ?
______.
1. What problems did each side face at home ? ______.
2. How did the war affect the economy of the North and the South ?
South______.
North______.
3. What role did women play in the war ?
______.
4 of 17.4 Printer Copy MAR 2017 BE MORE ‘BIG’ DOG. It’s an Attitude to Adjust to!!! Leon