Conscription Quote by Ulysses S. Grant
““The whole South was a military camp. The occupation of the colored people was to furnish supplies for the army. Conscription was resorted to early, and embraced every male from the age of eighteen to forty-five, excluding only those physically unfit to serve in the field, and the necessary number of civil officers of State and intended National government. The old and physically disabled furnished a good portion of these. The slaves, the non-combatants, one-third of the whole, were required to work in the field without regard to sex, and almost without regard to age. Children from the age of eight years could and did handle the hoe; they were not much older when they began to hold the plough. The four million of colored non-combatants were equal to more than three times their number in the North, age for age and sex for sex, in supplying food from the soil to support armies. Women did not work””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Address to Congress, 1865
The South’s war effort depended heavily on forced labor from enslaved and non‑combatant populations, highlighting the extensive exploitation of civilians.
In simple terms: The South used slaves and civilians for war supplies.
Key Takeaway
Recognize the human cost of wartime labor.
Themes
war
exploitation
labor
history
Mood
somber
reflective
Type
historical
educational
When to use this quote
- military logistics
- historical analysis
- human rights advocacy
Key Concepts
forced labor
civilian sacrifice
Questions to Reflect On
- What moral responsibilities do societies have toward civilian labor?
- How does this history inform modern labor ethics?
A Different Perspective
The quote may understate the agency of some individuals who resisted or negotiated.
