Civil War Propaganda

Both the Union and Confederate forces used propaganda during the Civil War to help recruit soldiers and sway public opinion in their favor.

Types of Civil War propaganda included posters, documents, pamplets, poetry, newspapers, clothing, envelopes, stamps, and other forms.

Both sides held rallies where representatives would speak in front of enormous crowds.

One of the best known Propaganda clubs of the North was the Union League.

The Union League was started in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in November of 1862. The Union League advertised the Union cause in many ways. The movement quickly spread from Philadelphia into other major cities including New York City, Boston, Baltimore, Washington, and San Francisco.

The group successfully distributed massive amounts of literature across the country. They also recruited soldiers and helped to raise money for soldier supplies.

The Union also benefitted from the work of the Loyal Publication Society of New York courtesy of Charles King and Francis Lieber. The Loyal Publication Society of New York, raised tens of thousands of dollars and published astronomical amounts of literature.

In late 1861 Abraham Lincoln sent Archbishop Hughes, Bishop McIlvaine, and Thurlow Weed on an international propaganda assignment hoping to dissuade France, Spain and England from aiding and abetting the Southern Confederacy.

The task of Archbishop Hughes was to win the support of the Papacy, of Napoleon, and of other Catholic rulers.

Bishop McIlvaine had an objective to make an appeal for support to the clergy of England.

Thurlow Weed's duty was to interact with journalists and public figures in an effort to counteract Confederate journalistic enterprise abroad.

The Confederates hired English writers to assist in the creation of anti-Union Propaganda. Henry Hotze was a major asset in the propaganda war for the south. He created the Index, a Confederate newspaper.

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