Daily Life In Northeast Arkansas During The Civil War Research Paper

Daily Life In Northeast Arkansas During The Civil War - Research Paper Example Therefore, following the secession, the Arkansas people located in the north began to fight for Arkansas State with Arkansas people located in the South. The economic activity of Arkansas State was agriculture because geographical characteristics which made it easy to engage in subsistence farming on small parcels of land and cash-crop farming on large plantations . Cotton was the main cash crop and due to its price increase, the State of Arkansas spurred and prospered in the 1850’s. However, some regions that had many slaves such as southern and eastern regions benefited more from the economic spurs brought about by cotton than those in regions with few slaves. Consequently, this created and increased the social, economic and political dissonance between Arkansas people living in the highlands and those located in the lowlands. Political dominance of the Democratic Party was the more rooted to this dissonance with some political figures advocating for the rights of the southern Arkansas while majority of the Arkansas were against slavery and remained loyal to the union. In addition, a larger number of Arkansas supported the secession but only a few were totally against it. Therefore, despite intense pressure from secessionist element, including the state officials and representatives from the seceded stated, some delegates barred every attempt to validate a secession ordinance. The season of deciding whether to secede or not, characterized heated debate, fallouts and fights that led to destruction of property and people. In so far as, the war is concerned, it always brings with it a lot of suffering, sorrow and requires greats sacrifice. T he first year of the Northeast Arkansas civil war, 1861, was quiet since the dissonance was rather vague and occurred underground. In addition, war preparation and assembling of troops for inspection and provision of orders occupied the first year of the northeast Arkansas civil war. The Arkansas people went about their daily business as usual without any fear. During the first year, there was a lot of indifference since some people were in support of the war and looked forward to it with a lot of enthusiasm while others were totally against the war. The first union forces to invade the northeast Arkansas came from Missouri. However, in the second year, 1862, the situation dramatically changes as union naval forces broke through Confederate defences along the Mississippi River and captured the city of Memphis, while Federal forces started to inhabit the northeast region and eastern lowlands of the Arkansas State. The war had reached northeast Arkansas much faster than anyone had ant icipated. During the period of the war, Arkansas women and children were toiling in the proverbial trenches on the home front. As the Confederate and Federal armies were concentrating their forces east of the Mississippi River, war was just as real in Arkansas as it was in Tennessee and Virginia. Since, the civil war in northeast Arkansas had just began, the Arkansas people appeared to be less defensive. This defenceless situation made the Arkansas State weak and naive among its enemies2. The defenceless situation of the State of Arkansas was primarily because of lack of an army to protect its citizens. As such, the lack of a security system or body had greater impact on innocent women and children. Moreover, as the men set out for war, the women and children back at home faced many challenges such as lack of food and many other kind dangers. Food was the most crucial problem characterizing the years of war, as farmers could no longer continue with their farming resourcefully. As su ch, the defenceless nature of Arkansas