Confederate Advantages
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. Thirdly, they were defending their home from invaders and fought to keep the Southern way of life which also meant that the Southern white people ad a sense of unity than the Northern population because the North was divided upon issues of slavery, politics, and regional disagreement. Lastly, the South had good military generals, the best military minds, and a broader base of recruits with some military experience. The South has a huge list of great generals, and the North was struggling to find a good general throughout the Civil War. The Confederates were equipped to survive the war easily, but it turned out a little different than you would think.
Confederate Disadvantages
Even though they have many advantages in the Civil War, the Confederates also have some disadvantages. First, instead of using a machines to do make their weapons, railroad tracks 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. However, the North had many railroad tracks and got their supplies faster than the Confederates. Thirdly, their population was small; there was 9 million Confederates and 22 million Northerners. This was caused by the enslaved people (1/3 of population) and how they could not be part in the war. In conclusion, the South had more advantages than disadvantages.
Union Advantages
The Union had many advantages in the Civil War. First they had a bigger population which was 22 million people over 9 million people. Since their population was bigger, they had more workers which was 1.3 million industrial workers over 110,000 industrial workers. 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! There was more immigration in the North than in the South. In the North, there was over 170,000 Irish people that served in the Union and 40,000 that served in the Confederacy. Industrial production was big in the Union; 1.5 billion dollars was produced tjere. 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.
Union Disadvantages
The Union with its machines and tons of workers and troops still has its flaws like the South does. First, they didn't know the land as well as the Confederates did and they didn't know if there was an easier way out of where ever they were. Second, the Union had to capture a big part of the South before getting all of America and if they wanted to win, they had to plan things out very well because if the Confederates could just hold them off for a certain amount of time, they would have victory instead of the Union. It is pretty clear that the North did not have many disadvantages during the Civil War.
Citations
_http://www.civilwar.org/resources/confederate-states-had-many.html
http://quizlet.com/5834509/advantages-and-disadvantages-between-north-south-in-the-civil-war-flash-cards/
http://suite101.com/article/northern-advantages-in-the-civil-war-a94205
https://sites.google.com/a/email.cpcc.edu/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-north-and-south-during-the-civil-war/advantages-disadvantages-of-the-union
http://quizlet.com/5834509/advantages-and-disadvantages-between-north-south-in-the-civil-war-flash-cards/
http://quizlet.com/5834509/advantages-and-disadvantages-between-north-south-in-the-civil-war-flash-cards/
http://suite101.com/article/northern-advantages-in-the-civil-war-a94205
https://sites.google.com/a/email.cpcc.edu/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-the-north-and-south-during-the-civil-war/advantages-disadvantages-of-the-union
http://quizlet.com/5834509/advantages-and-disadvantages-between-north-south-in-the-civil-war-flash-cards/