Weapons In The Civil War Essay

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Pages: 4

Civil War Weaponry
The American Civil War was an epic battle between the northern and southern states that occurred from 1861 until 1865. The economy of the southern states was based on “agriculture and slave labor” (“Irreconcilable Differences”). The economy of the northern states, on the other hand, was based on “industrial manufacturing” (“Irreconcilable Differences”). This separation of economies led to a divide between the two regions both socially and politically. Thus, differences in policies such as states’ rights eventually steered the country to the onset of the Civil War.
Before the Civil War, battles were fought up close and personal due to the lack of advanced weaponry. Muskets were the weapons of choice in previous wars. “Muskets were not accurate at long distances; therefore,
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Grenades were available before the Civil War, but improvements were made to them during this time. Sometimes, the use of grenades would backfire. Southern troops were known “to catch them on blankets and throw them back at the northern troops” (Andrews).
Landmines, known as torpedoes during this era, were used by the southern soldiers. The “northern troops considered these weapons as barbaric” and not a true form of combat (Andrews). Therefore, the northern troops retaliated by using captured southern soldiers to march in front of them to detonate any possible landmines in their path.
Hot air balloons were used during the Civil War as a “weapon of reconnaissance” (Andrews). The northern troops used these balloons to locate southern troops and track their movements. Thus, a more sophisticated way to spy on enemies was established during the Civil War.
Another unconventional weapon used during this war was the telegraph. Again, only the northern troops had the technology for this weapon. “Messages were relayed back and forth” between the battlefield and the White House, and this aided in strategy”