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Kids History: Daily Life During the Civil War

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Kids learn about what daily life was like during the Civil War. With men at war, the women and children were on the homefront.

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Kids learn about women’s roles during the Civil War including life at home, caring for soldiers, nurses, spies, soldiers, famous women, and interesting facts.

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Civil War Uniforms
History >> Civil War

As you can imagine in a battle between tens of thousands of men, things can get confusing. It even becomes difficult to know which soldier is on which side. The main way to tell the difference is by the uniforms.

US Army Cavalry Sergeant 1866
by Oliver H. Willard

You've probably heard of the blue and the grey when people refer to the civil war sides. The Northern Union armies wore navy blue and the Southern Confederate armies wore grey. However, the uniforms weren't exactly "uniform" at the start of the war.

At the Start of the War

When the Civil War first began, neither side thought it would turn into a major conflict. They weren't ready for a major war against each other. One of the things they weren't ready for was having uniforms for the armies.

At first, uniforms were provided to the soldiers by the states and local cities. The materials, colors, and styles were all different. The north tried to get their soldiers to all wear navy blue uniforms, but they often ran out of blue cloth and had to use grey. The materials and styles were different too, depending on where a soldier came from.

Confusion on the Battlefield

The lack of consistent uniforms led to confusion on the battlefield. In some early battles soldiers often shot people from their own side. Eventually, the uniforms became more standard with the Union army wearing navy colored uniforms and the Confederates wearing grey.

Union Uniforms

The Union uniform consisted of a dark blue wool coat with light blue trousers and a dark cap called a forage cap. They typically wore shoes that went up to their ankles called "brogans".

The coat often had bright buttons that sometimes indicated the rank of the soldier or what state they represented. Other markings on the coat like piping or badges usually indicated the rank of the soldier.

Campaign hat worn by General Sherman
Photo by Ducksters

Confederate Uniforms

Confederate Cavalrymen
by George B. Davis, Leslie J. Perry,
and Joseph W. Kirkleys

The Confederate Uniforms were less standard than the Union's. At the start of the war, many Confederate soldiers just wore their own clothes into battle. Eventually they settled on a uniform that had a waist length grey coat and light blue trousers.

Due to costs and a lack of materials during the war, many Confederate soldiers did not have adequate uniforms. They often wore combinations of what they could find and steal as well as their own clothes. They also didn't have very good shoes and sometimes had to go without any shoes at all.

Weapons

The typical soldier had a musket or rifle and possibly a knife or a sword for close combat. Some rifles had bayonets at the end that they would use for close combat. Officers often had pistols and a sword to fight with.

Other Gear

Soldiers carried their other gear in a backpack called a knapsack. They carried a blanket, a fry pan for cooking, and a canteen for water. Other items often included a comb, a sewing kit to repair their uniforms, silverware, a Bible, and a pocket knife.

Green hat worn by Union sharpshooters
Photo by Ducksters

Interesting Facts about Civil War Uniforms

The uniforms were mostly made from wool, which was very hot during the summers. Many soldiers suffered from heat exhaustion on long marches as a result.

The Union Army settled on rules for an official uniform in 1862. It wasn't until 1863 that the Confederate Army began to use a standard uniform design.

The Confederates chose gray dye for their uniforms because it was inexpensive to make.

Sometimes the grey coats of the Confederates were trimmed with green or yellow.

Activities

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Overview Major Events Civil War Life

People Battles

Works Cited

History >> Civil War

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Kids learn about soldier's uniforms during the Civil War. The Blue and the Gray worn by the Union and the Confederates.

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The Underground Railroad: Not a Real Railroad

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The Underground Railroad: Not a Real Railroad

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Underground Railroad
History >> Civil War

The Underground Railroad was a term used for a network of people, homes, and hideouts that the enslaved in the southern United States used to escape to freedom in the Northern United States and Canada.

Was it a railroad?

The Underground Railroad wasn't really a railroad. It was a name given to the way that people escaped. No one is sure where it originally got its name, but the "underground" part of the name comes from its secrecy and the "railroad" part of the name comes from the way it was used to transport people.

Conductors and Stations

The Underground Railroad used railroad terms in its organization. People who led the enslaved along the route were called conductors. Hideouts and homes where the enslaved hid along the way were called stations or depots. Even people who helped by giving money and food were sometimes called stockholders.

Levi Coffin House
from the Indiana Department of Natural Resources

Who worked on the railroad?

Many people from various backgrounds worked as conductors and provided safe places for the enslaved to stay along the route. Some of the conductors were formerly enslaved people such asHarriet Tubman who escaped using the Underground Railroad and then returned to help more of the enslaved escape. Many white people who felt that slavery was wrong also helped, including Quakers from the north. They often provided hideouts in their homes as well as food and other supplies.

Harriet Tubman
by H. B. Lindsley

If it wasn't a railroad, how did the people actually travel?

Traveling on the Underground Railroad was difficult and dangerous. The enslaved would often travel by foot at night. They would sneak from one station to the next, hoping not to get caught. Stations were usually around 10 to 20 miles apart. Sometimes they would have to wait at one station for a while until they knew the next station was safe and ready for them.

Was it dangerous?

Yes, it was very dangerous. Not only for the enslaved who were trying to escape, but also for those trying to help them. It was against the law to help escaped enslaved people and, in many southern states, conductors could be put to death by hanging.

When did the Underground Railroad run?

The Underground Railroad ran from around 1810 to the 1860s. It was at its peak right before the Civil War in the 1850s.

A Ride for Liberty - The Fugitive Slaves
by Eastman Johnson

How many people escaped?

Since enslaved people escaped and lived in secrecy, no one is quite sure how many escaped. There are estimates that say over 100,000 of the enslaved escaped over the history of the railroad, including 30,000 that escaped during the peak years before the Civil War.

Fugitive Slave Act

In 1850 the Fugitive Slave Act was passed in the United States. This made it a law that runaway enslaved people found in free states had to be returned to their owners in the south. This made it even more difficult for the Underground Railroad. Now, the enslaved needed to be transported all the way to Canada in order to be safe from being captured again.

Abolitionists

Abolitionists were people who thought slavery should be made illegal and all current enslaved people should be set free. The abolitionist movement started with the Quakers in the 17th century who felt that slavery was un-Christian. The state of Pennsylvania was the first state to abolish slavery in 1780.

Lewis Hayden House by Ducksters
The Lewis Hayden House served as a stop
on the Underground Railroad.

Interesting Facts about the Underground Railroad

Enslavers really wanted Harriet Tubman, a famous conductor for the railroad, arrested. They offered a reward of $40,000 for her capture. That was a LOT of money back then.

One hero of the Underground Railroad was Levi Coffin, a Quaker who is said to have helped around 3,000 of the enslaved gain their freedom.

The most common route for people to escape was north into the northern United States or Canada, but some of the enslaved in the deep south escaped to Mexico or Florida.

Canada was often called the "Promised Land" by the enslaved. The Mississippi River was called the "River Jordan" from the Bible.

In keeping with the railroad terminology, escaping enslaved people were often referred to as passengers or cargo.

Activities

Overview Major Events Civil War Life

People Battles

Works Cited

History >> Civil War

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Kids learn about the Underground Railroad. A way for the enslaved to escape from the South and into free northern states and Canada.

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Kids learn about the biography of Harriet Tubman, leader in the Underground Railroad who led many of the enslaved to freedom.

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Native American History for Kids: Cherokee Tribe and Peoples

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Kids learn about Native American Indian tribe the Cherokee from the Southeast of the United States.

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Native Americans for Kids: Chickasaw Tribe

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Kids learn about Native American Indian Chickasaw Tribe. Their history, language, clothing, food, homes, fun facts, and government.

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Kids learn about the history of civil rights in the United States. Educational articles for teachers, students, and schools including civil rights leaders, movements, timelines, glossary, and major events. What are civil rights and why are they important?

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History >> Civil Rights for Kids

African-American Civil Rights Movement

March on Washington Aug 28, 1963
from the United States Information Agency

The African-American Civil Rights Movement was an ongoing fight for racial equality that took place for over 100 years after the Civil War. Leaders such asMartin Luther King, Jr., Booker T. Washington, and Rosa Parks paved the way for non-violent protests which led to changes in the law. When most people talk about the "Civil Rights Movement" they are talking about the protests in the 1950s and 1960s that led to the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Background

The Civil Rights Movement has its background in the abolitionist movement before theCivil War. Abolitionists were people that thought slavery was morally wrong and wanted it to come to an end. Before the Civil War, many of the northern states had outlawed slavery. During the Civil War, Abraham Lincoln freed the enslaved with the Emancipation Proclamation. After the war, slavery was made illegal with the thirteenth amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

Segregation and the Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow Drinking Fountain
by John Vachon

After the Civil War, many southern states continued to treat African-Americans as second class citizens. They implemented laws that kept black people separate from white people. These laws became known as Jim Crow laws. They required separate schools, restaurants, restrooms, and transportation based on the color of a person's skin. Other laws prevented many black people from voting.

Early Protests

In the early 1900s, black people began to protest the Jim Crow laws that southern states were implementing to enforce segregation. Several African-American leaders such as W.E.B. Du Bois and Ida B. Wells joined together to found the NAACP in 1909. Another leader, Booker T. Washington, helped to form schools to educate African-Americans in order to improve their status in society.

The Movement Grows

The civil rights movement gained momentum in the 1950s when theSupreme Court ruled that segregation in schools was illegal in the case of Brown v. Board of Education. Federal troops were brought in to Little Rock, Arkansas to allow the Little Rock Nine to attend a previously all white high school.

Major Events in the Movement

The 1950's and early 1960's brought about several major events in the fight for the civil rights of African-Americans. In 1955, Rosa Parks was arrested for not giving up her seat on the bus to a white passenger. This sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott which lasted for over a year and brought Martin Luther King, Jr. to the forefront of the movement. King led a number of non-violent protests including the Birmingham Campaign and the March on Washington.

Lyndon Johnson signing Civil Rights Act
by Cecil Stoughton

Civil Rights Act of 1964

In 1964, the Civil Rights Act was signed into law byPresident Lyndon Johnson. This act outlawed segregation and the Jim Crow laws of the south. It also outlawed discrimination based on race, national background, and gender. Although there were still many issues, this law gave the NAACP and other organizations a strong base on which to fight discrimination in the courts.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

In 1965, another law was passed called the Voting Rights Act. This law said that citizens could not be denied the right to vote based on their race. It outlawed literacy tests (a requirement that people be able to read) and poll taxes (a fee that people had to pay to vote).

Interesting Facts about the African-American Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Act was originally proposed by President John F. Kennedy.

The 1968 Civil Rights Act, also known as the Fair Housing Act, outlawed discrimination in the selling or renting of housing.

The National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee was once the Lorraine Motel, where Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot and killed in 1968.

Today, African-Americans have been elected or appointed to the highest positions in the U.S. government including Secretary of State (Colin Powell and Condoleezza Rice) and President (Barack Obama).

Activities

Take a ten question quiz about this page.

Listen to a recorded reading of this page:

Your browser does not support the audio element.
To learn more about Civil Rights:

Civil Rights Leaders

Overview Works Cited

History >> Civil Rights for Kids

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Kids learn about the history of the African-American Civil Rights Movement including segregation, Jim Crow laws, protests, Martin Luther King, and the passage of the Civil Rights Act.

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Kids learn about the history of the Montgomery Bus Boycott that started when Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white passenger. Led by Martin Luther King, Jr., African-Americans stopped riding the buses for over a year.

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Civil Rights Act of 1964 | Montgomery Bus Boycott for Kids | Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King

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Kids learn about the history of Jim Crow Laws including segregation in the South, example laws, grandfather clauses, black codes, and how they got the name Jim Crow.

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Kids learn about the history of Native American Rights from the Indian Removal Act and the Trail of Tears to the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968.

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The breathtaking courage of Harriet Tubman - Janell Hobson

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Causes of the American Civil War - Educational Social Studies Video for Elementary Students & Kids