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Presentation U.S. History Primary Source Timeline

The North During the Civil War

Map of the Battlefield of Gettysburg, 1864,
Civil War Maps

The Civil War had fewer devastating effects on the North than the South simply because most of the combat of the Civil War occurred on Southern soil. Even so, it is difficult to imagine a civil war that does not affect all portions of the society in which it takes place, and the Civil War affected the North and its civilians in many ways.

From time to time, Confederate cavalry raided into the North to bring the war home to Northerners and, they hoped, to influence Northern morale and support for the war. Southern supporters living in the North or border states sometimes fought deadly guerrilla warfare or simply bushwacked people they considered enemies in those regions. On the other hand, Unionists in the border states often mistreated Confederate sympathizers who lived among them. The war affected the Northern economy both positively and negatively and changed the life course of many women.

In searching Loc.gov for primary source documents related to this topic, try using search terms such as Civil War and Union troops.

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