The First Modern War (the Civil War)

The Civil War was the first modern war. Technology had reached new levels due to the Industrial Revolution. New weapons, ships, transportation, and medicines were all being used in the Civil War. This created problems because the technology was much more advanced then anything the people of the time were familiar with. Due to lack of experience using the new technology, accidents happened and casualties were high.

New weapons were first used in the civil war. Bayonets were becoming outdated. Though they were used in the war, more advanced guns and cannons were also used in battle. The new guns were much more powerful then any gun used before, and because it was their first time in battle, people did not have proper protection against their shots. Also, they may have had trouble firing shots because they were not familiar with the new weaponry. This war was extremely bloody and the number of casualties were tremendous because of the new weaponry used. Also, the north was able to produce weaponry much faster than the south because they were more industrialized and had much more money, which gave them a great advantage. The south also had the advantage of having many soldiers who had graduated from fine southern military schools. Both sides had advantages and disadvantages when fighting with their new weaponry.

Transportation was also evolving during the civil war. New iron-sided war ships were created. The battle of the Monitor vs. Merrimack on March 9, 1862, would be watched by every Navy in the world and would change the way battles were fought at sea. The CSS Merrimack, the southern ship, was a sturdy ship. It was loaded with guns and cannons and moved very slowly. The USS Monitor, created by engineer John Ericsson, would fight for the Union. It was a small war ship, and had a very advanced rotating place for its two guns. The battle was intense, the ships were both very advanced. The battle ended without a clear winner, but it was still one of the most famous battles of the Civil War.

On either side of the battle, medicine was becoming more advanced. However, it was not as advanced as the weaponry. Soldiers were living in camps under bad conditions and were getting shot faster then they were being healed to health. Scientists were just beginning

to learn the causes of disease. Limbs were still amputated and disease was still spreading. Wounded soldiers still received great care from doctors. The middle ages of medicine