“Ruins opposite Circular Church” by photographer George N Barnard shows group of four African American boys in April 1865 sitting at base of pillar in Union occupied Charleston.
On the Homefront
American's greatest conflicts changed the lives of civilians as well as those of soldiers. Explore the articles and videos in the boxes below to learn more about life on the homefront during the wars that defined America.
Explore Life on the Homefront
Children of the Civil War: Selected Biographies
Biographies of notable children during the Civil War including Johnny Clem, Edwin Jemison, John Cook, Charlie King, Orion P Howe, Joseph Evan Davis...
The Homefront
VIDEO | Much of Civil War history focuses on the generals and soldiers fighting battles in unfamiliar lands, but there were also millions of people...
Coffee on the Home Front During the Civil War
Coffee played a large role in the lives of soldiers on both sides of the Civil War, but the lack of coffee on the Confederate home front played a role...
The United States Sanitary Commission
From its inception to the close of the war, the United States Sanitary Commission raised more than $25 million and provided essential support to the...