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Texan Homefront: Wartime Survival & Sacrifices

Explore Texas' struggles during Civil War - shortages, draft challenges, women's contributions. Learn about leaders, Unionists' plight, and sacrifices.

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Texan Homefront: Wartime Survival & Sacrifices

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  1. 18.4 The Texas Homefront

  2. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Although Texas suffered less than the other Confederate states because very few battles were fought in the state, Texans experienced many hardships. • Goods became scarce and were very expensive.

  3. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Many newspapers stopped operation because of lack of paper. • Shortages were also created because supplies, particularly medicines, were sent to Confederate armies.

  4. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Texans adapted to the wartime shortages, using thorns for pens and wallpaper for writing paper. • When coffee beans became scarce, people used corn, okra, parched peanuts or sweet potatoes to make drinks. • Texans also made homespun clothing

  5. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • To feed the army, farmers grew more corn and wheat and less cotton. • Crop production also increased as slaveholders in other states sent slaves to Texas to prevent them being freed by Union occupation forces.

  6. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Women and children ran farms and plantations, as did men who were unable to serve in the Army. • Women on the home front also worked in small factories and made items at home.

  7. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Women also organized groups to support the war effort. • These groups made uniforms, bandages and made medical supplies. • They also provided aid to the families of soldiers

  8. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • The state’s political activity also focused on the war effort. • All office-holders strongly supported the Confederacy. • Francis R. Lubbock, who had been elected governor in 1861, joined the Confederate army in 1863. Francis R. Lubbock

  9. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Pendleton Murrah was elected governor of Texas in 1863. • Like Lubbock, Murrah struggled with state debts, defending the frontier against raids by American Indians, and raising troops for the Confederacy. Pendleton Murrah

  10. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Although thousands of men had volunteered at the beginning of the war, they were not enough. • In April 1862, the Confederate Congress passed a draft or requirement of military service. • All white males between the ages of 18 – 35 had to serve. • The age limits were later broadened to 17 and 50.

  11. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • There were several loop holes in the law. • People with certain key jobs were exempt. • Men could also buy their way out of service or provide a substitute. • Because of these loopholes some southerners complained that it was a “rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight”

  12. The Wartime Economy and the Draft • Even with the draft, the Confederacy struggled throughout the war to put enough soldiers in the field. Fallen Confederate Soldiers

  13. Unionists in Texas • The Confederate draft sparked fierce opposition from some Unionists. • Although many joined the war effort, some refused to fight for either side. • Many German-Americans and Mexican-Americans remained neutral. • When the draft was passed, Texans had to choose sides. • Many Unionists fled Texas to avoid the draft. Texas Unionists forced to fight for the Confederacy

  14. Unionists in Texas • Confederate officials regarded many Texas Unionists as potentially dangerous traitors. • Officials placed some areas under martial law , or ruled by armed forces. • Some Unionists were violently attacked.

  15. Unionists in Texas • In August 1862 about 60 German Texans tried to flee to Mexico rather than be drafted into the Confederate army. • The Texas militia caught and attacked them near the Nueces River killing many. • When German communities in Central Texas organized a protest, Confederates hanged 50 protesters.

  16. Unionists in Texas • Confederate leaders also worried about Unionists in North Texas. • In Oct. 1862 Confederate troops arrested more than 150 suspected Unionists and formed a court to try the accused people. • A mob soon took over. • By the time the violence had ended, 40 suspected Unionists were hanged in Gainesville.

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