7-5 Everyday Life During the War

Describe the conditions for prisoners of war captured by the Confederate army. Cite evidence found in the text.

Many African Americans captured by the Confederate army were killed outright. Union soldiers, even white men, were starved in prisons like the one at Andersonville, Georgia. The Confederate army had very little food for its own soldiers and often did not feed the prisoners.

This Confederate banknote promised to pay the bearer 500 Confederate dollars two years after the signing of a treaty to end the Civil War. Why might Confederate money have had little immediate value?

The Confederate government backed the banknotes only on a promise to pay them back and did not back them with gold, so people were skeptical that the money had any value.

What are some of the reasons the South experienced more severe shortages during the war than the North?

The North was more industrialized and prepared to meet the demands of production brought on by the war. The South suffered from the naval blockade of its ports, a less extensive railroad system, too much dependence on cash crops, and economic inflation.

Summarize the ideas of the Peace Democrats and tell how Lincoln dealt with this faction.

The Peace Democrats wanted to end the Civil War. Lincoln believed these views could be harmful. To deal with the Peace Democrats and others who he feared would undermine the war effort, Lincoln suspended habeas corpus and had the military arrest people suspected of disloyalty to the Union.

How did the Civil War simplify westward expansion?

It allowed Americans from the Union to move to the West without strife over the slavery issue. In addition, northern and southern companies had squabbled over the route for a proposed rail line linking California to the East, but that wasn't an issue once the war started, making travel to the West easier.

During the Civil War, the term "Copperhead" referred to a. soldiers who deserted their military posts during combat. b. antiwar Democrats who demanded an end to the war. c. members of the nursing teams responsible for hospital sanitation. d. public servants in charge of the Union's conscription process

b. antiwar Democrats who demanded an end to the war

The federal government passed the Legal Tender Act as a way to enable a. the printing of war bonds. b. the issuance of paper money. c. the compensation of wounded soldiers. d. the exchange of different forms of currency

b. the issuance of paper money

Why did the South's economy struggle during the war? a. There was no central government to collect taxes. b. There was a sharp decline in the price of products across the region. c. The Union blockade successfully reduced imports and exports. d. The Confederate army failed to seize prosperous forts in the North.

c. The Union blockade successfully reduced imports and exports.

What was one challenge faced by the Confederacy? a. In the South, support for the war was so great that too many people bought war bonds, causing inflation as the bonds' value increased. b. The new Confederate government was so strong that Jefferson Davis ruled almost as a dictator. c. There were few effective generals in the South, and Jefferson Davis struggled to find competent military leadership. d. The decentralized government and strong sense of states' rights was a challenge to Jefferson Davis's ability to conduct the war.

d. The decentralized government and strong sense of states' rights was a challenge to Jefferson Davis's ability to conduct the war.

The border states were in a unique situation during the war because a. most of the region's regiments served as blockade runners. b. they saw the most combat due to their central location. c. their late entrance to the war cost them fewer soldiers. d. many families had brothers and sons fighting for opposite sides.

d. many families had brothers and sons fighting for opposite sides

What aspect of Confederate life was most affected by the shortage of paper and ink during the war? A. communication B. fashion C. agriculture D. healthcare

A. communication

Doubts about the value of Confederate money led to A. broken political alliances. B. high inflation. C. military conscription. D. scarcity and famine.

B. high inflation

Jonathan Letterman improved medical care during the Civil War by A. building hospitals. B. inventing anesthesia. C. streamlining ambulance services. D. training civilian physicians

C. streamlining ambulance services

Disease spread rapidly in military and prison camps because of A. lack of anesthesia. B. modern weapons. C. unsanitary conditions. D. scarcity of food.

C. unsanitary conditions.

How did President Lincoln respond to political dissent during the war? A. He increased protections for civil liberties. B. He instituted a military draft. C. He required dissenters to move west. D. He suspended habeas corpus.

D. He suspended habeas corpus.

Clara Barton changed the roles of nurses by A. collecting military supplies. B. helping returning soldiers and their families. C. launching a sanitation committee. D. traveling with Union Army ambulances.

D. traveling with Union Army ambulances.

How did the Civil War impact westward expansion?

During the Civil War, the Union built a major railroad line going west through Union territory. This caused industry to expand in the North. The Homestead Act made inexpensive land easily available, which also encouraged westward expansion.

Explain what contributed to the high death toll in the Civil War?

New technology used in the Civil War caused widespread casualties. Additionally, many soldiers died of battlefield wounds since doctors lacked modern knowledge to treat those wounds effectively. Finally, poor drinking water and lack of sanitation in the camps led to disease, which killed twice as many soldiers as those who died on the battlefield.

Describe a few effects of the Civil War draft. What was the response among the citizens of the Union?

Since the wealthy could buy their way out of it, the draft increased resentment toward the wealthy. It also increased resentment toward African Americans since some soldiers feared that African American men would replace them in their jobs.

What were some advantages to the new technology used in the Civil War? What were some disadvantages?

Some advantages: Medical care on the battlefield improved. Railroads made travel faster and enabled the transport of supplies easier. Hot air balloons allowed both sides to gather helpful information. Iron siding created stronger, more durable ships. Some disadvantages: New bullets and guns increased firing speed and accuracy, which meant a deadlier, more violent weapon and higher casualties for both sides. Because railroad depots were so essential to the armies' functioning, they were also prime targets for attack.

Consider what you have learned about the North and the South and about the onset of the Civil War. Write a list of ways you think war may have affected the lives of people in the Union and the Confederacy. What differences might exist between the two? What shared challenges do you think both northerners and southerners faced?

The Civil War most likely affected the people living in the South more directly than the people living in the North because most of the battles were fought there. While people in the South most likely had their lives completely disrupted, people in the North most likely continued living their lives similar to how they were before the war began. However, people living in both regions most likely faced the challenges of shortages of goods and losing family members who fought in the war.

How did the differing methods of paying for the Civil War likely affect the Union and Confederate economies over time?

The Union especially incurred heavy bond debts, so the federal government would need to budget money to repay those debts over time. The Confederacy issued a great deal of new currency that was not backed by gold or other valuable goods, so it faced the risk that the value of its money would decline greatly.

Identify two ways in which the Union raised money to fight the war.

The government levied an income tax that increased throughout the war. The Union government also raised money by issuing war bonds that citizens could buy with the expectation that the they would receive a much higher amount at a later date.

Explain why the Union blockade was so damaging to the Confederate government.

The southern economy depended on cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar. With the blockade, southerners could not sell these crops for money. They couldn't eat these crops either, so they were essentially useless. This caused a chain effect, because it also meant that there was not much commerce for the Confederate government to tax and fund the war. The blockage also prevented most supplies from reaching the South.

Why was the Confederate currency less successful than the Union greenbacks?

The southern economy did not have as many reliable sources of revenue as the northern economy, and the Confederate government struggled to fund the war. The weak Confederacy backed currency only with the government's promise to pay, making many doubt the value of Confederate money, causing inflation.

What events and conditions built resentment against the Confederate government and Jefferson Davis?

The southern economy struggled due to the northern blockade, and many blamed their struggles on Jefferson Davis. Also, since the Confederacy was founded on ideals of fierce independence, and since the Confederate government took some drastic actions to maintain order during the war, some states even discussed seceding from the Confederacy

How did the Civil War contribute to the presence of women in the teaching and nursing professions?

When men went away to war, many women replaced them as teachers. By the end of the war, women had taken over most teaching. Women also began to serve as nurses during the war. Small groups of women, like Clara Barton, worked together to aid the veterans. Eventually, Lincoln authorized women to work in military medicine.