Dueling messages: Propaganda in the Civil War By National Geographic Society on 05.24.19 Word Count 1,033 Level MAX
This envelope from the Civil War shows a drummer boy in front of the American flag. Photo from Library of Congress
Broadly speaking, propaganda is the dissemination of information to promote an idea or belief and influence the opinions of the public. It can take the form of the written word, drawings, works of art, performances, and the like. The term usually connotes selective omission or presentation of facts. One purpose of war propaganda is to rally the populace in support of the war. The Civil War saw the widespread use of propaganda to raise troops, vilify the opponent, and promote the righteousness of the cause, whether North or South. Media
Throughout the Civil War era, newspapers were the primary means of spreading information, and due to the recent development of the telegraph, newspapers were able to receive and report on remote events such as political debates, battle results and casualty reports. They were also able to
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