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Essay On The Civil War Vs South Homefront

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During the civil war, both the northern and southern Homefront’s each had their own issues that involved the loyalty of the people and problems within the government. After initial setbacks, many northern civilians experienced an increase of wartime production. Throughout the war, iron production and coal mining reached their highest levels. Sales with merchant ships increased. During this time the railroads and the Erie Canal traffic rose over by half. Northern manufacturer’s profits became so high that many places had to either double or triple their dividends to stockholders. The people who became rich built grand homes and used their money on carriages, silk clothing and jewelry. There was public outrage that such conduct was happening and shouldn’t have been done during war times. There were many people who saw this lifestyle as offensive and feared that workers’ salaries would shrink due to inflation. Salaries rose only half as fast as prices certain products like beef, rice and even sugar doubled. Companies of all kinds made record profits. The role of women changed dramatically …show more content…

Near the end of 1861, the rate of inflation was overall running over twelve percent per month. One example of this was that salt was the only real way to preserve meat during this time. The price of meat rose from sixty five cents for a two hundred pound bag in 1861 to sixty dollars per sack a year and a half late. Things like wheat, flour, and meats of all kinds along iron, tin and copper became way more expensive for the typical family to buy. Certain types of people would buy up all the goods in a store only to resell them back at a way higher price. Riots for food occurred in Atlanta and Richmond. During the the course of the war, the overall inflation in the south made prices to rise nearly by nine thousand

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