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Southern Women In The Civil War Essay

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One of the social aspects during the time 1861-1865 revolved around the new roles given to women. While the hundreds of thousands of men went to war, women were left to manage their new roles as head of the household. What this means is that they now had to undertake the jobs the men would usually do. Some of these new roles included running farms and stores, and working in government, factories, and offices, as well. The war also permitted women to enter the former male-orientated professions such as teaching, civil service, and nursing, due to the shortage of men (Keene, 392). The nursing profession was eventually almost completely taken over by women after around 30 years, despite the disapproval of many men who believed women were too delicate for such situations (Keene, 392). The Southern women faced many issues by taking on these responsibilities such as being broke and hungry, as well as maintaining their …show more content…

The progression of these advancements allowed for a more modern war, setting it aside from previously fought wars. Some examples of the advances made include the telegraph, railroads, and weaponry. The telegraph permitted the almost instantaneous exchange of information between armies among broad regions. Advancements in railroads expanded transportation for large quantities of supplies or men to move further distances in shorter time periods. Lastly, the advances made in weaponry made for a new kind of war. Artillery became more accurate, allowing muskets to kill a man 500 yards away, thus making it more deadly (Keene, 387). The invention of the minie ball, the conical-shaped ball that replaced round musket balls has grooves on one end, causing a spiraling, much like that of a football used for increased accuracy (Keene, 388). The great improvements made in these areas, especially in weaponry resulted in horrific results for both sides in the Civil

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