Life during the 1800s in America was already difficult for many people. Of course, there were rich factory owners in the North and plantation owners in the South, but the average farmer and his family worked extremely hard just to survive. When the Civil War started, living conditions became even more difficult for the average American. Many of the men joined the army or were drafted. The women were left at home to work the farm or to find jobs and support the family on their own. Poor Men Went to War Many poor men thought that fighting in the army was an opportunity for adventure and excitement. This seemed much better than the drudgery of the hard work of everyday life. They soon found out that war was both boring and terrifying. Both sides of the war eventually instituted a draft. This was when men were randomly chosen to enter the army whether they wanted to or not. However, the rich were able to legally avoid the draft. In the North, they could pay a fee of $300 or pay someone else to take their place. In the South, men who owned more than twenty slaves didn't have to fight. Women at Home With so many men gone to war, women had to take up new jobs. They worked the fields on farms and at factories producing goods for the armies. Some women served as nurses in the army, helping wounded soldiers recover. Women had to work very hard to provide for their families. Often not only their husbands were at war, but also their older sons and fathers. War in the South Life in the South during the Civil War was even more difficult than in the North. The Union had blockaded many of the ports of the South, causing shortages of food and other items that people needed. Also, most of the war took place in the South. Families lived in constant fear of getting overrun by an army. When General Sherman took the Union army from Atlanta to Savannah he burned and destroyed much of the land and farms along the way. It was a scary time.
