1. 8-4.6 Compare the impact of the Civil War
on South Carolinians in each of the
various classes, including those groups
defined by race, gender, & age.
The War Effects on
South Carolinians
2. The Plantation Owner
Prior to war, they were wealthy, slaves
gave them social & political status
Many of the wealthiest plantation owners
volunteered and became officers in the
Confederate Army
Others were exempt under the “20 slave”
law (explain)
Men of lower classes served and died in
disproportionate numbers compared to
the elite
Plantations were destroyed
Slaves were freed (causing many elite to
loose their fortunes that were tied up in
slave property)
Majority of males left after the war were
3. Women Left Behind
Left to tend to the farms and run the
plantations
Life was very difficult due to the shortage of
clothes & food needed by the southern
soldiers
They often found substitutions or did without
(inflation made Confederate $ worthless)
Some served as nurses, some raised money
for the cause
Many were forced to flee their homes as the
Union “Army advances, only to return to ruins
At the end of the war, many were left widows
Video (2:19)
4. Emancipated Slaves
Slaves were freed because of
military action, not the Emancipation
Lincoln’s Proclamation allowed
African Americans to fight for the
Union Army; many free and recent
runaways joined
They served with distinction, but still
faced discrimination
Served under white officers & were
paid less than white comrades
Some were forced I into battles
when their Confederate masters
took them to the battlefield
Others were commandeered to build
Confederate defenses
6. Children of the Civil War
Both slave and free children assisted on the farms &
plantations
They also suffered from lack of food & shelter, as
everyone else
Some boys as young as 10 enlisted in the
army, serving as drummers and standard
bearers, many being caught in the cross fire, dying for
their cause
Many were left fatherless or with fathers whose wartime
injuries left them unable earn a living
Many grew up with lives vastly different than their
parents as a result of the war
