Civil War
By Aidan Caputi
Wartime Economy
During the war, Texans still grew their main crops like cotton, and raised cattle. The blockade blocked the Texans from exporting their goods, though. Because of this, the Texan farmers had to start growing more food crops to supply the increasing demand for food crops. The North wanted to increase trade between the three sections of the United States, so they created a blockade to stop the South's foreign trade. This crippled the South's economy because it relied on foreign trade. Because of the blockade, taxes and expenses rose. Along with this, Confederate money dropped value significantly.
Women and The War Effort
During the Civil War, women had to take over most of the jobs in town because the men were out at war. They ran stores, managed plantations, and made supply boxes for the soldiers. These were not the only jobs they took over. Some other things they did for the men were driving cattle to the market, making weapons, and teaching.
Battles of the Civil War
The Battle at Sabine Pass was a very significant battle in the Civil War. In September of 1863, General Banks planned to move his troops across a narrow channel along the Louisiana border. There he would cut off Texas' railroad connection to Louisiana. He did not know that Lieutenant Dowling had his troops stationed along the channel. As the ships passed, the Confederate troops fired and sank the two ships. The Confederates hailed the victory after losses at Gettysburg and Vicksburg.
Battles of the Civil War (Continued)
The Battle of Galveston happened at the end of the year 1862. Union troops captured the island in hopes of using it as a base to guard the Gulf of Mexico because of the blockade. Confederate General John Magruder attempted to take back the island in January of 1863. They sailed in on boats lined with stacked cotton bales to protect the troops from Union bullets. Other troops crossed the bridge from the mainland. The Confederacy took control of Galveston and held it under their control until the end of the war.
Battles of the Civil War (Last one)
The final battle of the Civil War was the Battle at Palmito Ranch. The ironic thing about this battle was the fact that the war was already over, but the Confederacy won the final battle. The war and actually been over for 5 weeks. The South actually won the last battle, but because word traveled so slow back then, they did not know that the Confederacy had already surrendered.
Home Front Hardships and Substitutes
Because of the blockade, the normal trade of goods in the South was stopped. Normal everyday items were in short supply. Clothes, shoes, and even paper became hard to come about. Medicines were sent to the battle lines instead of the towns. In order to cope with these shortages, Texan's started to use substitutes, or in other words replacements for everyday items. Roasted acorns or corn were brewed into a coffee-like drink, honey took the place of sugar, and homespun clothes replaced store bought clothing. Also, they learned to use herbs as medicine.
Unionism and Conscientious Objectors
Most Texans supported the Confederacy, although one-fourth of Texans had been against secession. Most of these people remained loyal to the Union throughout the war, and more people actually joined them as the Confederacy lost battles, loved ones were injured or killed, and the people faced shortages and hardships. This group of people called themselves the Peace Party. Some vigilantes hung 40 members of the Peace Party without authority. This stopped Union activity for a while. Conscientious objectors were people who did not want to serve in the war. This could be for moral or religious reasons. The people who volunteered to fight did not trust those who were drafted against their will.
Problems and Tensions in Wartime
There were many problems and tensions during wartime. One example is substitutes. During the war, the Texans ran out of many different everyday items. They turned to alternative items instead. Along with this, there was high tension between the Peace Party and the other Texans. There was also tension between Germans who supported the Union and the ones who didn't.
Civil War Quiz Game
Play this game to test your knowledge on the Civil War.