Although it can be understood why the military history receives so much attention, it is only a part of the entire Civil War story. Too often, students of the conflict come away with only the military/combat aspects and the imprint of the war on the national level. This type of study is frequently too broad in scope, leaving out important details. To get a clearer picture of the impact of the war on the whole nation, the local and regional levels need to be examined. To do this, it useful to study one of the neglected areas in this war, the home front. Home front studies provide historians with another lens through which to view the imprint of the Civil War on American society. For example, the preparations and activities of the various state and local governments, businesses, military officials, civilian aid societies, home defense units, and planners of social events reveal a lot about the totality of this war....

[T]he study of the home front is actually more important then [sic] the study of military history for several reasons. First, initially the general public of both North and South favored civilian armies which were made up of soldiers recruited from the people. In addition, the various state governments had the final decision on which side the state would take in the war. Also, local businesses and industries participated in the war through the production of military equipment. Futhermore, the general public's efforts to mobilize for the war effort, particularly in terms of forming civilian aid and defense volunteer groups, is revealed. Finally, a higher percentage of people lived through the war years at home than on the battlefield (this is especially true of women, children, and politicians). Thus, home front studies give historians a clearer picture of the impact of the war at the local and regional levels.