Civil War Tech: How Simple It Is After All (Traditional American History Series)

by James M Volo and James M. Volo

The first half of the nineteenth century is noted for the level of its invention, industry, and enterprise. Many fields of endeavor saw incredible advances in technology, among others: manufacturing, transportation, agriculture, and warfare. In many cases, the American nation would not again see developments of such moment and importance for a century. The Civil War has often been cited as the first modern war, but its very modernity was often a product of the decades of innovation that preceded it. Chief among these in the United States was the use of interchangeable parts and machine tools in the place of handcrafting, and the development of unique alloys, devices, and methods of production. Although the influence war and medicine have had on each other is debatable, in some cases war moves medical practices and innovation forward, or refocuses research into specific conditions. The false image that surgery during the Civil War consisted of amputations, amputations, and more amputations, many done unnecessarily, developed early in the war. Many Civil War surgeons lived to see these developments and, reminiscing long after the war, lamented their own lack of preparation for the difficulties of treating large numbers of severely wounded men. The ghastly nature of the condition of many wounded amputees returning from the conflict led to the federal government taking action in the form of its "Great Civil War Benefaction" program that made a commitment to provide prosthetic devices to every soldier who needed one. The functionality of these nineteenth century devices sometimes advanced beyond mere aesthetics to mobility and dexterity, and showed how far future prosthetics could develop. Yet other less striking or emotion-evoking technological advances appeared during the era. Agriculture, for instance, was much further advanced than many history texts might suggest. Both industrialization and urbanism were largely overstated stereotypes because the vast majority of Americans worked beside their children and grandchildren (without slaves) on small farms in an idyllic, if not mechanically efficient, simplicity that has come to characterize the agrarian ideal. Their food supply and supply chain were local, and, simply put, they knew how to get things done! The ills that plagued many urban populations were often attributable to the sudden influx of migrant farmers to cities or the evolution in employment from agriculture to industry. Many inventions affected the battlefield indirectly. Among forms of modern warfare, the production of tents, kit bags, and uniforms is not often given the same consideration as that of bullets and firearms, yet the inventor of the practical sewing machine, Elias Howe prided himself on the fact that during the American crisis more than a million soldiers were clothed, kitted and covered by fabric sewn on machines using his inventions. Nicolas Appert developed a method of preserving surplus food in glass jars in France, which was quickly adopted by American housewives to stock the family larder. From this advance Robert Ayars established the first American canning factory, which quickly developed into a tinned food industry and was directed to the provision of canned milk, fish, meats, vegetables, and fruits as supplements to military field rations. Wholly new and innovative American designs for water canteens and military ambulances were put into use. Railways, telegraph lines, canals, and Macadam roads -- originally developed to improve commerce and transportation -- also changed the speed at which armies moved and the means by which warfare was waged.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1980806616
• ISBN13: 9781980806615
• Release Date: April 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 351 Pages
• Weight: 2.22 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.0" x 0.9" x 8.5"