Civil War Home Front
The war brought prosperity to people who stayed behind in Wisconsin. Railroads were overwhelmed with business, farmers faced labor shortages that increased wages for hired hands, crop prices multiplied as the demand for wheat skyrocketed, and the need for agricultural products caused a boom in the manufacture of farming equipment. Some Wisconsin residents opposed the war: many Democrats thought state's rights should prevail, or that the nation had been taken over by Republican extremists; the draft that began in 1862 sparked riots in Port Washington, Milwaukee, and West Bend. Meanwhile, Wisconsin women organized aid societies that improved living conditions among soldiers and sent supplies to the frontlines and to hospitals.
Turning Points in Wisconsin History
Learn More
See more images, essays, newspapers and records about the Civil War.
Dictionary of Wisconsin History
Explore more than 1,600 people, places and events in Wisconsin history.