Answer:
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.
