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Most of the fighting during the
American Civil War took place on Southern soil. In part, this was the result of the war
strategies of both sides. To win the war, the South had only to survive. On the other
hand, for the North to win, the Union had to be restored. Thus, Union forces had to
conquer the South in order to win the war. War action around their homes created many
hardships for Southerners.
The hardships increased or intensified for other reasons as
well. As an agricultural region, the South had more difficulty than the North in
manufacturing needed goods--for both its soldiers and its civilians. One result was that
Southern civilians probably had to make more real sacrifices during the war than Northern
civilians did. In addition, part of Union war strategy was to use the Navy to blockade
Southern ports. The Union hoped to stop the flow of goods between the South and other
countries and strangle its foe economically.
To find additional sources in American Memory
regarding the South during
the Civil War, use words such as Yankee, Confederate, plantation,
Civil War, and War Between the States, in your search.
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