If we count those who were slain on the field of battle and those who died from wounds, disease, and suffering in wretched prisons, the loss of men was equal to seven hundred a day during the four long years of the war.

When it was over, a wave of intense relief swept over the country. In many homes were glad reunions; in others, saddened memories. But at least a united nation was cause for a new hope, and a patriotism which in time was to bind all sections into closer union.

Some Things to Think About

  1. Tell what you can about Lincoln’s early life. What kind of boy was he?
  2. What was the Emancipation Proclamation? Why did not Lincoln set the slaves free when he became President? What do you admire about him?
  3. Why did Lee go with Virginia when this State seceded?
  4. Tell as much as you can about Lee, Jackson, Stuart, Sherman, and Sheridan.
  5. What kind of boy was Grant? What kind of man? What do you admire about him?
  6. What were some of the important results of the Civil War?
  7. When did this war begin, and when did it end?
  8. Are you locating every event upon the map?

CHAPTER XVII

FOUR GREAT INDUSTRIES

[Return to Table of Contents]

COTTON

Thus far we have been considering mainly the men engaged in exploration, in invention, or in the great national struggles through which our country has passed. But while only a small fraction of the people, as a rule, take an active and prominent part in the stirring events of history, many more work hard and faithfully to furnish all with food, clothing, and other things needful in every-day living. What these many laborers accomplish in the fields of industry, therefore, has a most important bearing upon the life and work of men, leaders and followers alike, in other fields of action. With this thought in mind, let us take a brief glance at a few of our great industries.

First, go with me in thought to the South, where the cotton, from which we make much of our clothing, is raised. Owing to the favorable climate of the Southern States, it being warm and moist, the United States produces more cotton and cotton of a better quality than any other country in the world.