Technology : Identification And Evaluation Of Sources

With the eruption of the Civil War came one of the biggest tribulations and trials that this country has ever faced, but as we understand the motives of one of the greatest Presidents in American History we can see that the Civil War was inevitable. From his original intentions of merely preserving the Union and holding the country together, to permanently abolishing slavery we can observe why prevailing in the struggle of the Civil War is one of Lincoln’s defining legacies. Thus, as the civil war draws to a close, an old tumultuous era has ended, and a new more prosperous era has

The Civil War was an important event not only in America's history but also for the World. At the time, America was the foremost runner in the industrialization and one of the biggest providers for raw resources such as cotton from the South; who provided 1/4 of the world's' cotton at the time. Even though the Civil War is the bloodiest war in America's history with 750,000 casualties; it was also a huge catalyst that pushed technology faster and further than ever before. The Civil War gave birth to inventions such as the Ironclad ships, submarines and repeating rifles, that changed military tactics and strategies. But it also gave way to technology like the telegraph and photography, which later on help connect people together in a way like

The civil war had many new technologies arise that made it unique compared to the wars of the past. One of these technological improvements was the introduction of the Ironclad warship. This technology was introduced during the showdown between the Monitor and the Merrimac . These two Ironclad warships fought to a stalemate , but this struggle forever changed how ships would be designed. Another technology that had not existed in previous wars in american history was the reconnaissance balloon it allowed the union to gather information and send it through telegraph to the various commanders. The civil war brought the first submarine, The CSS Hunley. The Hunley successfully sank the Union ship Housatonic, but unfortunately the Hunley itself was damaged. The submarine would eventually prove to be important for all armies in the wars to come.

Only the North possessed an industrial base, small as it was, before the shooting started. During the fiscal year ending 1 June 1860, the country possessed some 128,300 industrial establishments. Of these, 110,274 were located in states that remained in the Union. Finally, the North contributed 92.5% of the $1.9 billion that comprised the total value of annual product in the country in 1860. The war years stimulated production of new inventions and accelerated the growth of established technology. Due to a deluge of government contracts, sewing machines became an integral part of the clothing industry, and the 50-year-old system of machine-made interchangeable parts became firmly entrenched in the production system. Agriculture-related industrial goods also witnessed production spurts attributable to the war: Gail Bordens condensed-milk process, patented in 1856, became essential to the diets of many Union soldiers, while implements including the thresher and the rotary plow experienced sales booms as machinery took over work abandoned by farm hands gone to war. In other ways, such as by easing unemployment and by promoting the enactment of protective tariffs, the war encouraged wide-scale industrial expansion. No wonder that by 1864 the Unions manufacturing index had risen to a level 13% greater than that of the country as a whole in 1860. But wartime statistics, positive or negative, fail to tell the full story of the Civil Wars impact on Northern

The lack of emphasis on manufacturing and commercial interest, stemming from the Southern desire to preserve their traditional agricultural society, disadvantaging themselves to the North and their ability to function independently. It was neither Northern troops nor generals that won the Civil War, rather Northern guns and industry. Northern states produced 97% of firearms in the US which allowed war materials to be much more accessible and productive to produce as the North already had these large factory’s, which is

Hattaway H., Jones A., (1991). How the North Won: A Military History of the Civil War. Champaign: University of Illinois Press.

Technology after the civil war included railroad systems, steamboats and telegraphs. The rail road systems were important civil war technology. They keep the war moving and also help bring supplies to troops. The union's railroads and trains were superior to the confederates because the north was all about industry so they already had railroads and trains all throughout the northern regions. The south had railroads as well but the didn't have as many tracks.

Our thesis, “The inventions of the hot air balloon and water vessels during the Civil War both were new methods of transportation and helped the Union succeed” was accepted. The hot air balloons helped give the Union an observational advantage on the battlefield and the ironclad ships (specifically the Monitor) gave the Union a advantage in warfare on the rivers and ocean.

Here, as well, the Confederate army was at a disadvantage: They lacked the technological and industrial ability to conduct such a large-scale communication campaign” (Civil War Technology 2). Though these types of innovations changed the way wars are fought they also changed daily life. “Even more important were the technologies that did not specifically have to do with the war, like the railroad and the telegraph. Innovations like these did not just change the way people fought wars–they also changed the way people lived” (1). One other thing, the Union Army had established an entire government office dealing with the telegraph system and had trained many operators. “In 1861, the Union Army established the U.S. Military Telegraph Corps, led by a young railroad man named Andrew Carnegie. The next year alone, the U.S.M.T.C. trained 1,200 operators, strung 4,000 miles of telegraph wire and sent more than a million messages to and from the battlefield” (3). The telegraph was “the way” to communicate before the later invention of the telephone. “Also, there was a telegraph service for people to communicate before the invention of the telephone around 1900” (Dorr 2). It is clear that, the telegraph really helped the North get an edge on the South.

Civil War technology was important because it helped with transportation, trading, and advancements in the war. Technology was a main role in the war and helped the North win most battles. Most technologies are still even used today.

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.

Technology and the tactics they came up with for their new technology had a major impact on the war. The Union used their new weapons a lot more effectively than the south. For example they began with both sides firing off their cannons from almost a mile away where they could barely see each other and the north knew that if they stopped firing their cannons the south would begin to push forward thinking there cannons were taken out. Also the north had an uphill advantage so they knew they had even more of an advantage because they had the height above them. When the south was finally right where they wanted them the north began shooting their cannons again. They started off with an exploding cannon ball that took out about 10 men at once.

The Civil War took place from April 12, 1861 – May 9, 1865. The war started over slavery, however it didn't end with slavery. New inventions and ways to mass manufacturing really started occurring at the period. Many inventions were created like the gatling gun, submarines, repeaters, and hydrogen filled ballon which served as spy gear. Technological advantages the North had played a pivotal role in the Civil War which helped the North win.

Finally, the technological advancements that were present during this time period helped impact the outcome because these items had more power that noone has ever experienced before. The textbook notes entitled “Major Events of the Civil War” proves this point as it shows the new technology brought forth by soldiers, including weapons like musket minie balls and cannons. When they were created, these tools were far more accurate and had a greater range, so opponents had more of a risk of death. This helped both sides create more casualties during each battle. Without it, the war wouldn’t have made much of a difference in creating a clear understanding of who won without the massive deaths. Also, the video notes entitled “The Story of US-Civil

Did you know that in the Civil War, America lost the most men ever? After four years and over 600,000 American lives, the Union (North) prevailed in wearing down and forcing the Confederacy (South) to surrender. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, the Missouri Compromise, and the Dred Scott case contributed greatly to the Civil War. After the Civil War, the Southern economy was devastated with millions of homeless, while the northern economy boomed.