Civil War

Civil War

The war was an especially formative experience for the 40 percent of the soldiers that were 21 years old or younger. The army imposed institutional discipline on soldiers, while at the same time promoting male bonding and competition and giving freer reign to the social impulses, such as sexuality and violence, that were a part of antebellum America. Sexuality was part of a military culture that consisted largely of single men, whereas violence was encouraged, and at times considered necessary, in conflicts between soldiers.

In the North, the war's demand for discipline, courage, and physical strength changed men's lives ...