There are several ways to approach searching for information on careers and occupations during the period covered by the U.S. Civil War.  The Antebellum period covers information up to the Civil War.  One can also search for the Industrial Revolution, although that can become a confusing issue between the first and second phase.  The Victorian Era, while refering to a time period in England, does cover the years from 1840 to 1900.  Another approach is to simply search for the words occupation, jobs, carrers, trades, etc. joined with the phrase 1860's.  Once you've picked a career, you may want to try this approach in a search engine, such as Googling for 'farming 1860s'.  Below are some web sites that may be of help in your search.