This is a black and white image of four young boys sitting barefoot and dressed in ragged clothing  on the rubble of a battlefield.

“Ruins opposite Circular Church” by photographer George N Barnard shows group of four African American boys in April 1865 sitting at base of pillar in Union occupied Charleston.

On the Homefront

American's greatest conflicts changed the lives of civilians as well as those of soldiers. Explore the articles and videos in the boxes below to learn more about life on the homefront during the wars that defined America.

The Homefront

VIDEO | Much of Civil War history focuses on the generals and soldiers fighting battles in unfamiliar lands, but there were also millions of people...