hardships of war setting the scene chapter 17 section 4 pg.500
TRANSCRIPT
Hardships of WarSetting the Scene
Chapter 17
section 4
Pg.500
Hardships of WarSetting the Scene
Chapter 17
section 4
Pg.500
As the war went on, things became tougher and tougher for the citizens of our nation. Especially in the South food and supplies became more and more scarce. The war affected not only the soldiers, but the citizens back at home as well.
“My daughter’s cat is staggering today, for want of animal food. Sometimes I fancy I stagger myself. We do not average two ounces of meat daily; and some do not get any for several days together.”
The Hard Life of SoldiersChapter 17
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The Hard Life of Soldiers
Soldiers spent much of their time away from home and slept on the ground in tents even during rain and snow.
Most of the soldiers that fought in the Civil War at the beginning were under the age of 21.
As the war went on, the age for drafting soldiers in the South dropped to 17 and older men had to serve in the army also.
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The Hard Life of SoldiersNew Technology
Round musket balls were replaced with cone-shaped bullets which were more accurate and more deadly.
The new technology of the rifle or “rifling” the barrel of a gun by cutting grooved in it made the bullets spin as they were fired which increased accuracy.
Improvements in the cannon’s distance and accuracy as well as exploding rocket shells made the battlefield even more dangerous.
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The Hard Life of SoldiersNew Technology
Old Musket Ball New cone-shaped bullets
“Minié Ball”
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The Hard Life of SoldiersNew Technology
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Smooth barrel
“Rifled” Barrel
The Hard Life of SoldiersMedical Care
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The Hard Life of SoldiersMedical Care
Doctors did not fully understand how germs and bacteria cause infections and disease so conditions in army hospitals were not kept clean and sterile.
Doctors did not have the surgical skills and knowledge of today so an arm or leg hit by a bullet would often be amputated or cut off instead of repaired.
Many soldiers died of infection and disease spread throughout the hospital and army camps instead of from their actual wound.
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The Hard Life of SoldiersMedical Care
Bone saws used to amputate soldiers arms or legs when shot or wounded
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The Hard Life of SoldiersMedical Care
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The Hard Life of SoldiersPrison Camps
Soldiers who were not killed, but captured during a battle were put in prison camps.
Because food and supplies were already short, the prisoners were treated poorly and poorly fed and cared for.
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The Hard Life of SoldiersDesertion (AWOL)
Some soldiers chose to desert or leave the army because of the rough life and back conditions.
North - 1 out of every 7 deserted
South - 1 out of every 9 deserted
Chapter 17
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Opposition to War in the NorthThe Draft Law
Chapter 17
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Opposition to War in the NorthThe Draft Law
In the North, the draft law of 1863 said that all able-bodied men ages 20 to 45 must serve in the military if they were asked.
A Northerner could avoid being drafted by paying $300 to the government or they could hire someone to fight in their place if they were chosen to serve.
There was some resistance and even rioting in the North because some of the poorer class felt they were being forced to fight because they could not pay and that it wasn’t fair.
Chapter 17
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Opposition to War in the NorthThe Draft Law
Chapter 17
section 4
Opposition to War in the NorthThe Draft Law
Because of rioting, President Lincoln had to suspend the right to habeas corpus which is your right to be charged in front of a judge and told what you are accused of before being jailed. Lincoln explained that the Constitution allowed him to temporarily deny citizens their rights in times of national emergency or in this case to restore peace to the nation.
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Problems in the SouthChapter 17
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Problems in the South
The South’s central government was too weak and Confederate states could often ignore the central government or refuse to pay taxes needed for the war effort.
The South’s draft laws forced boys as young as 17 to served in the army. You could avoid the draft in the South if you owned 20 or more slaves (planter class/ Cottonacracy).
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The Northern EconomyEconomic Problems
Chapter 17
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The Northern EconomyEconomic Problems
Chapter 17
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The Northern EconomyEconomic Problems
In 1861, Congress passed the nation’s first income tax. That meant that each citizen had to pay part of what they earned in a year to the government as a tax.
The government also sold and issued many bonds which promised to repay a certain amount of money at a later date.
The government also printed a lot of paper money with nothing of value to back it up which caused terrible inflation or rising prices in the North.
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The Northern EconomyEconomic Benefits
Chapter 17
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The Northern EconomyEconomic Benefits
Because so many small farmers went off to war, the remaining farmers had to plant more acres to feed the population and the soldiers. To do this they bought many of the new farm machines (mechanical reaper, light-weight steel plow, mechanical threshing machine, etc.) This helped northern factories to grow and prosper.
The demand for clothes (uniforms), shoes, and guns for the soldiers also helped many factories become richer during the war.
Some greedy factory owners called profiteers raised prices of goods in high demand for the war, which hurt the government’s war effort.
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The Southern EconomyThe Economy Suffers
Chapter 17
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The Southern EconomyThe Economy Suffers
Chapter 17
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The Southern EconomyThe Economy Suffers
The South used an income tax called a tax-in-kind which required farmers to give 1/10th of their crops to the government as a tax instead of paying money. The South could then use those crops to feed its soldiers.
The South also printed its own paper money but it also did not have very much of value to back it up, so it was of little worth and there was high inflation.
The South’s cotton industry suffered the most because of the blockade and the South’s decision to stop selling to Europe hoping to force them to become allies of the South. That plan however didn’t work.
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The Southern EconomyEffects of the Blockade
Chapter 17
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The Southern EconomyEffects of the Blockade
The South could not get deliveries of important goods because of the blockade so the Confederate government had to start building their own factories (kind of like Communism) or pay private contractors to switch their factory to producing guns and supplies.
The blockade also made it difficult for the South to get many types of foods that weren’t grown in the South. Many farms, including plantations, had to switch from growing cash crops (cotton, tobacco, indigo) and start growing food crops or switch over to raising livestock.
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Women in the WarChapter 17
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Women in the War
As many men went off to fight in the war, some women had to take jobs in factories and do more of the work on farms.
Many women also served as nurses on the battlefield. They did such a good job as nurses, that after the war, nursing became an accepted profession for women.
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