Introduction

The way people communicated in the Civil War era looks different from the way that information is communicated now. Because there was no radio, television, or internet, people mostly  relied on newspaper, mails, and posters. During wartime, both northern and southern causes relied on propaganda as a recruitment technique. Propaganda is defined by Webster’s dictionary as “information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread to help or harm a person, group, movement, or institution”. Propaganda has been used throughout history to promote a particular position, particularly in war-time. During the United States’ Civil War, both northern and southern citizens participated in the creation and propagation of particular ideologies. Some of the methods that they used are seen and discussed throughout this section of the exhibit.