The American Civil War was the first war to use 19-century technology. Railroads were used to move troops, generals sent messages by telegraph and ships began being made out of iron instead of wood. Trenches, barbed wire and some early machine guns appeared by the end of the war.
There were several reasons why the Civil War happened. Slavery was a large part of the reason. Many Southerners were afraid that the North would outlaw slavery by law. In the Southern states, many people believed that loyalty to the state was more important than loyalty to the union. The Northerners felt the opposite way. Also, the North and South lived very different ways of life.
Tobacco was the main crop in the South for many years. Black slaves were needed to work on those plantations. When the Industrial Revolution came, machines were invented to turn cotton into cloth. Cotton than became the important crop. During the Civil War, corn replaced cotton as the main Southern crop.
The South liked their way of living. Plantation owners rode horses, played cards, and danced while the slaves took care of the plantation. Small farmers worked hard and hunted for food. The South depended on trade with other counties for their goods.
Meanwhile in the North, machines were taking over and they were becoming industrialized. The North no longer needed slave labor. 80% of goods and services were produced in the North.
Many Civil War soldiers on both sides went to war for different reasons. Some of the reasons known are duty, honor, patriotism, to prove they were better soldiers, to keep their way of life, and a belief that their cause was right. Some boys went to war to get away from the boring life of farming and to have adventures. Since everyday people fought the war, their reasons for fighting were different from one one person to another. Some of the men had no idea why they were fighting!