Civil+War

Civil War: Advantages and Disadvantages- By Jenny Sitnik During the Civil War the North had some crucial advantages that helped them defeat the South. For example, the North h ad many people to grow food and to work in factories making supplies. Also, t he North had an enormous industrial advantage as well. At the beginning of the war, the Confederacy had only one-ninth the industrial capacity of the Union. But that statistic was misleading. In 1860, the North manufactured 97 percent of the country's firearms, 96 percent of its railroad locomotives, 94 percent of its cloth, 93 percent of its pig iron, and over 90 percent of its boots and shoes. The North had twice the density of railroads per square mile. There was not even one rifle works in the entire South. The North, also, had a bigger population: 21 million people lived in 23 Northern states. The South claimed just 9 million people — including 3.5 million slaves — in 11 confederate states. Since their population was bigger, they had more workers which was 1.3 million industrial workers over 110,000 industrial workers. Also, since the North had a larger population which translated into the ability to field a larger army. Many Southern states had more non- white people who could not be in the war because they were enslaved workers. In fact, the non- white population over populated the white people by more than 100,000 people in South Carolina! The North had more than 70% of the nation's rail lines and possessed a large amount of the country's canal systems. These would be vital in the quick and easy transportation of troops and supplies. More railroads meant better communication as well as better transportation. The use of railroads would prove crucial to the Union’s ultimate victory. The ability to rapidly transport soldiers and supplies greatly assisted the effort to defeat the Confederacy. At the start of the war, the North boasted 22,000 miles of track compared to 9,000 in the South. Further, as the war progressed, the inability to properly maintain the Southern system hurt Southern defensive strategies. Also maintaining railroads meant that the Union could not reinforce troops as quickly as the North could. Immigration patterns remained steady both at start of the Civil War and during the course of the war. The Irish comprised one of the largest pre-Civil War immigrant groups, settling, for the most part, in the large urban centers of the North. Civil War statistics demonstrate the immigrant advantage in terms of population size. Over 170,000 Irish served in the Union armies, compared to 40,000 for the Confederacy. Germans, the other large pre-war immigrant group, also contributed large numbers to the Union cause. The Union a strong navy and a large fleet of private trading ships. The Northern navy prevented many supplies from being imported by the South. The North also possessed an existing, working government while the South was struggling to put their government together and fight a war at the same time. Meanwhile, the South had to worry about their slave population revolting and causing trouble for the troops. The North's tactics, if not their leadership, was a clear advantage. The North's Anaconda Plan was to blockade, divide, and conquer the South. They literally constricted the South into submission. The North also did not set a specific time limit for which they thought the war would end. The South, however, only planned for eighteen months of fighting. This restricted their options on war tactics. Also, industrial production was big in the Union; 1.5 billion dollars was produced there. In comparison, the South produced 155 million. Further the North had more railway systems than its Southern Neighbor. The North supported President Lincoln however the South supported Jefferson Davis. Historians believe that Lincoln was an overall better leader than Davis given what Lincoln had been able to accomplish. Finally, all of the principal ingredients of gunpowder were imported. Since the North controlled the navy, the seas were in the hands of the Union. A blockade could suffocate the South.
 * North Advantages: **

**North Disadvantages**:

The Union had little disadvantage, but still had a few. For example, Northern soldiers had to conquer a huge area to bring the South back into the Union. Also, they were invading unfamiliar land therefore Southerners could harass Northern invaders. The North didn't have as much motivation to fight as the South did because not everyone in the North was an abolitionist and didn't agree with the motive to go to war with the South. Another main point is Northern armies struggled to find good leadership. The Union had a much smaller pool of experienced military officers.

The Confederacy like the Union had some major advantages as well. For example, defending their homeland gave them a strong reason to fight. Southerners enjoyed the initial advantage of morale: The South was fighting to maintain its way of life, whereas the North was fighting to maintain a union. Also, many of the best officers in the United States were from the South. Seven of the eight military colleges in the country were in the South. The South also proved to be very resourceful. By the end of the war, it had established armories and foundries in several states. They built huge gunpowder mills and melted down thousands of church and plantation bells for bronze to build cannon. The South's greatest strength lay in the fact that it was fighting on the defensive in its own territory. Familiar with the landscape, Southerners could harass Northern invaders. Since, the war was fought on Southern territory the Confederate soldiers did not have to travel so far. Finally, the Confederates had many advantages in the Civil War. First, they had an advantage by fighting a defensive war. It was the Union that started it in the first place because they were calling each state that was willing to give them a hard- working army to fight in the Battle of Fort Sumter. General Grant's goal was to keep the U.S to himself which could only be done by making the South surrender. To make that happen, they had to make a successful invasion and occupation of the South and that would not be an easy task. Secondly, the Confederates could do enough damage to the North that the Union's troops lose politicians that are on their side and they will have to keep fighting.
 * South Advantages: **

** South Disadvantages: ** Just like everything else in the world the Confederacy had some disadvantages. For example, t he South had a small population, about 9 million lived in the Confederacy and 22 million in the Union, ad more than 1/3rd of the population was enslaved; therefore they had fewer people that could be   soldiers. Also, since the South had few factories to produce weapons, railroad tracts, and other supplies, they used old fashioned things. It took longer for them to get their resources since they had to make them themselves. Second, the Southerners had no railroad systems, so it was harder for them to transport troops and carry supplies. Also, Europe didn't recognize the Confederacy, therefore without Europe recognizing the Confederacy, it was hard to get any foreign aid. The Confederacy had enough guns, but not enough men. The ratio of guns between Union and Confederacy was 32:1, with the Union having the greater. Finally, the South relied heavily on trade with foreign countries to produce necessities. The Union had naval advantage and blocked the Confederate's ports for supplies. Furthermore, the economy of the Confederacy was destroyed by the Union.
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