Question

people of many different backgrounds joined the union and confederate armies. given that about 80% of americans lived in rural areas in 1860, what was the most common job volunteers had before the war? farmer merchant sailor soldier

Explanation:

In 1860, 80% of Americans lived in rural areas, where farming was the dominant occupation. This means the vast majority of potential volunteers would have worked as farmers before the Civil War. The other options (merchant, sailor, soldier) were far less common among the general population at that time.

Answer:

farmer