In 1861, the war actually initially made more money for the cotton mills because the price of cotton manufactured goods went up sharply in anticipation of the coming cotton shortage. Ultimately, some cotton mills shut down or operated on reduced numbers of days or hours. A lot of the young girls who worked at the cotton mills simply went back home to their families when they lost their jobs. Some girls were able to get work at the woolen mills where uniforms were being made for the Union Army.
Woolen uniforms reminds me of my days in ROTC in a large Southern public high school. All of the boys had to take Army ROTC, and for most of the year we wore wool uniforms. The uniforms got rather hot as the Southern temperature warmed up. We had a compulsory ROTC requirement at my college too, all apparently dating back to something done by Congressman Morrill, he of the Morrill Tariff.
The Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) was established by the National Defense Act of 1916. Prior to that military training existed on many campuses, due primarily to the Morrill Act or Land Grant Act of July 2, 1862.
My college was a land grant college, and it consequently (up until I was there) maintained a compulsory military training program (since then made voluntary).
Interesting.
Speaking of JROTC I also took it when I was in high school. One of my instructors, was a member of the SCV and also part of Chapman’s artillery reenacting unit.
Starting a war with the South certainly kept a lot of people employed on borrowed money who would not otherwise be employed.
The uniforms got rather hot as the Southern temperature warmed up.
No doubt it was equally uncomfortable for the Union soldiers during the war. They endured a lot to do their master's bidding.
But what matter human suffering to invaders?
We had a compulsory ROTC requirement at my college too, all apparently dating back to something done by Congressman Morrill, he of the Morrill Tariff.
Sometimes bad pennies keep turning up.