North Versus South

Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Union and the Confederacy, and how they contributed to the Civil War’s outcome.

South

Strengths

* Defending territory (families, homes); Home Field advantage

* Great number of highly trained military officers. 7 of 8 military schools were in south.

* Resourceful - Established armories and foundries in several states, built huge gunpowder mills and melted down thousands of church and plantation bells for bronze to build cannon.

Weaknesses

* Population in 11 Southern States– 9 Million (including 3.5 million slaves)

* South had equal sized army in 1st year of war regardless of less population. 900k served in Confederate army.

* South had 1/9th the Industrial Capacity of the North (only 110k industrial workers) – Zero rifleworks initially.

* Civilian population / Southern Interior took a beating as war took place on Southern soil.

* Supply lines suffered from Naval blockades and lack of railroads

* Agriculture primarily cotton, lack of food to supply armies and civilians

North

Strengths

* Lincoln’s adamant stance to maintain the Union no matter the cost

* Population in 23 Northern States – 21 Million. 1.2 million in Union army.

* Industrial Advantage

* 1.3 mil industrial workers

* 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.

* Principal ingredients of gunpowder were imported; Northern Navy controlled seas.

* Established government

* Better financed; more efficient commerce system

Weaknesses

* Difficult objectives

* Invade, conquer, and occupy 750k sq miles of Southern territory...