A Difficult Time

The Civil War transformed the lives of thousands of Americans, bringing many great hardships and casualties during the war. As the fighting intensified, conscription was introduced on both sides, requiring a draft that forced men to serve in the army. Although African Americans only encompassed 1% of the North’s population, about 180,000 African Americans fought for the Union, composing 10% of the Union Army. Horrible conditions and poor medical care led to heavy fatalities on both sides, with dysentery, body lice and diarrhea common. Conditions in the war prisons however were even worse, where disease ran rampant with overcrowding. The North was only slightly better, with an increased amount of food and space for prisoners. An estimated 15% of Union prisoners in South died in contrast to 12% of Confederate prisoners in the North died.

Thousands of women also contributed to the war effort, and many worked as army nurses. Clara Barton, a dedicated Union army nurse, treated soldiers at the front line and went on to found the American Red Cross after the war. Both sides benefited greatly because of the nursing effort by the women, and they became an invaluable resource as casualties skyrocketed.

Overall, the war obliterated the South’s economy and the Confederacy soon faced a food shortage, due to loss of manpower and Union control of food-growing areas. This led to food prices escalating sharply and the inflation rate rising 7,000%, greatly damaging the economy. The North’s economy on the other hand expanded with the war, as army supplies sustained woolen mills, steel foundries and other industries. This growing economy led to the first income tax by Congress, in an effort to help pay for the war.

By Matt M, Kiki G

Protests, Resistance, and Violence during the Civil War

Connor

Cody

Anybody convicted of helping a runaway slave was fined up to $1000 and was imprisoned for up to 6 months. This upset many people in the northern states, who resisted the Fugitive Slave Act by creating organizations to send runaway slaves to Canada. The most famous organization was the Under Ground Railroad. Escaping slavery was a risky process, that meant traveling on foot at night without knowing any distance or direction to your destination. The Underground Railroad was created by free slaves and white abolitionists. They're job was to hide slaves in secret tunnels and false cupboards, provide them with food and clothing, and ultimately give them direction to the next station. One of the most famous abolitionists or "conductors" was Harriet Tubman, who was a former slave herself. Another famous abolitionist propoganda was the novel written by Harriet Beecher Stowe called Uncle Tom's Cabin, which stressed that slavery wasn't just a political contest but a moral struggle. 

By the end of 1856, new political parties started to emerge. The Whigs party was unable to agree on a national platform, and it splintered with it's members looking for a pro slavery or pro union party to join. One party was the "American" party, which later became known as the 'Know-Nothing Party." They supported nativism- the supporting of native born people over immigrants. They soon split over the issue of slavery, and the "Souther Know - Nothings" joined the democratic party while the "Norther Know - Nothings" became republicans. Two anti-slavery parties emerged during the 1840's. The "Liberty Party's" goal was to pass new laws to abolish slavery. The "Free - Soil Party" apposed the extension of slavery into other neutral territories. Unlike other abolitionists, the "Free - Soilers" supported discriminatory laws which denied the rights for African American's votes. In 1854, the opponents of Slavery formed a new political party known as the "Republican Party." They opposed the Kansas- Nebraska act and in keeping slavery out of the neutral territories. As the party grew, it took in members from other political parties such as the, "Free - Soilers," "Whigs," "Democrats," and "Nativists" mostly from the north. The conservation faction hoped to bring back the Missouri compromise. During the election of 1856, the republican candidate was John C. Freemont. The Democratic candidate was James Buchanan. If Freemont had won, the south might have seceded; however, since Buchanan won, the threat of secession had been adverted.