Thursday, June 11, 2009

Great Civil War Projects You Can Build Yourself


Have you ever wondered what life would be like if you had lived during the Civil War? A lot would depend on who you were and where you lived: if you were white or black, a former or a city dweller, or if you were rich or poor before the Civil War started. But whether you lived in the Deep South or Far North, whether your hometown was the site of a battle or far removed from any fighting at all, there is no question you would have been greatly affected by the conflict between the Union and Confederate armies. This book will help you discover a bit about what life was like during the Civil War for families, soldiers, and children. You'll learn a little history of why the Civil War began, some interesting facts about the people, places, and battles during the war, and create projects that will give you an idea of what people during the Civil War did to communicate, have fun, and live their day-to-day lives. The book is divided into three general sections: On The Battlefield covers projects that deal with a soldier's life in camp and during battle. On The Homefront features projects that give you an idea of what life was like for everyday people during the Civil War.

Great World War II Projects You Can Build Yourself


The local ration boards were made up of area businesspeople and politicians. Board members came up with a ration level for each person or family in their program. How much a family was allowed depended on where they lived, who they worked for, and the number of people in their household. Each family member was issued a ration book that contained numbered stamp coupons. They had to turn in the coupons when they bought a rationed item. The stamps did not guarantee that food would always be available on store shelves, however. Red meat was especially hard to get, and was a popular black market item. Remember, those who sold things on the black market operated illegally outside the government's ration system. Black marketers, known as "Mr. Black" or "Mr. B," sold their items for whatever price they could get, so prices could be quite high. Nylon stockings, for instance, sold for 20 times their pre-war price. The government fined store owners for participating in the black market if they were caught by one of the 3,100 OPA investigators.