Life During the Civil War

Refugee

A person forced to leave home because of war.

Habeas corpus

Legal protection against being held in jail without lawful grounds.

Draft

Required military service.

Substitute

Someone who takes another person’s place.

Bounty

Money offered to encourage someone to volunteer.

Inflation

Rising prices caused by a decline in the value of money.

Copperheads

Northern Democrats who opposed the war and wanted peace.

Prisoner of war

A captured enemy soldier.

Union blockade

A military strategy that stopped trade with the South during the Civil War.

Andersonville

A Confederate prison camp in Georgia known for its terrible conditions.

Dorothea Dix

Superintendent of Union nurses who helped improve nurse training and establish military hospitals.

Clara Barton

Founder of the American Red Cross who helped wounded soldiers.

Harriet Tubman

Union spy and scout who helped lead missions to free enslaved people.

Copperheads

Democrats who wanted to end the Civil War through negotiation.

Daily life during the Civil War

Characterized by families separated, jobs disrupted, and limited school attendance.

Women in the Civil War

Took on roles such as nurses, spies, factory workers, and maintained homes.

Draft riots

Protests against the military draft, notably in New York City in July 1863.

Economic strains in the South

Severe shortages and a declining economy due to reliance on cotton and the war's destruction.

Women as soldiers

Some women disguised themselves as men and fought in battles.

Medical conditions in Civil War hospitals

Horrible conditions with poor sanitation and high disease rates.

Scarcity of supplies

A major issue in the South due to trade blockades and destruction of crops.

Women as workers during the Civil War

Assumed traditionally male roles in factories, offices, and as farm managers.

Refugee

A person forced to leave their home because of war.

Habeas Corpus

A legal protection that prevents someone from being held in jail without lawful justification or a trial.

The Draft

A law requiring certain able-bodied men to serve in the military.

Substitute

Someone who takes another person's place in military service, often paid by the person avoiding the draft.

Bounty

Money offered by the government to encourage individuals to volunteer for military service.

Inflation

A decline in the value of money that causes the prices of goods to rise sharply.

Copperheads

Northern Peace Democrats who opposed the Civil War and advocated for an immediate negotiated peace.

Prisoner of War

A soldier captured by the opposing military force during wartime.

Dorothea Dix

Superintendent of Union women nurses who organized military hospitals and improved nursing training while serving without pay.

Clara Barton

Nurse who cared for wounded soldiers during the Civil War and later established the American Red Cross.

Sally Tompkins

Confederate nurse who ran a hospital for Southern soldiers and received a commission as a captain in the Confederate army.

Susie King Taylor

An escaped enslaved woman who served as a nurse for Black Union soldiers and taught them to read and write.

Harriet Tubman

Union spy and scout who disrupted Confederate supply lines and led missions freeing enslaved individuals.

Loreta Janeta Velázquez

Woman who disguised herself as a male soldier to fight for the Confederacy in battles like Bull Run and Shiloh.

Andersonville

Notorious Confederate prison camp in Georgia known for overcrowding, starvation, and rampant disease.

Elmira

Union prison camp in New York where nearly one-fourth of the captured Confederate soldiers died.

New York City Draft Riots

Violent protests in July 1863 where workers attacked draft offices due to anger and fear over forced military service.