The Home Front Effect in The American Civil War

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The Civil War was unlike any other war ever fought in America and had many effects on the home front for both the North and the South. It is stated to be the first ever total war, which is a war against not only the civilians but also the armies. The Civil War is also considered the first modern war fought by the U.S. troops. Lincoln asked volunteers to sign up for only three months. Many people thought the war wouldn’t last long. However, the war continued on for four years. The Union armies had around 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men and the Confederate army had approximately 750,000 to 1,250,000 men. The entire North and South society was affected by the war and desired for many social and economic assets. The Civil war brought new military techniques which caused the armaments to be more destructive. Ironclad ships and railroads were sufficiently used within the war. The north had a motive; they wanted to weaken the South’s longing to victory. The North tried to achieve this last motive by inflicting wholesale destruction upon the South (Janda, 1995). More than a hundred people seemed to be spies or secessionists in Maryland. In time, they were arrested due to not being faithful to the union and their state. Pro-secessionist newspapers were shut down, and telegrams and mail were censored (Perret, 2004). The North and South benefited in many different ways, and both sides would use dissimilar approaches. The Southerners were fighting for a way of life they believed in. Comparing the two, the North had an extensive amount of people which made it easier to establish armies. In the beginning, the Union army only consisted of 16,000 soldiers or less. Southerners deserted the army because they didn’t have the things they needed for fig... ... middle of paper ... .... The American Journal of Nursing, 75(5), 816-818. Davis, W. (2002). Look away! A history of the Confederate States of America. New York: The Free Press. Eicher, D. (2001) The longest night: A military history of the Civil War. New York: Simon and Schuster. Janda, L. (1995). Shutting the gates of mercy: The American origins of total war, 1860-1880. The Journal of Military History, 59(1), 7-26. Perret, G. (2004). Lincoln’s war: The untold story of America’s greatest president as commander-in-chief. New York: Random House. "Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South [ushistory.org]." Ushistory.org. Web. 21 Aug. 2011. . "U.S. Congress Passes the Enrollment Act of 1863 | Civil War." Command Posts. Web. 19 Aug. 2011. .

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