Balance Sheet The Union And The Confederacy

ASU HST 200 (Historical Themes) The Civil War, 1860–1865 Balance Sheet: The Union And The Confederacy Both sides evaluated their advantages and disadvantages as it became apparent that the Union would not be dealing with a revolt that could be put down quickly. When the conflict began in 1861 and 1862, they were comparatively equal fighters. The fact that the Confederates could fight a defensive rather than an aggressive war was to their favor. They didn't have to be the ones to attack the Union in order to defend and maintain their new borders. The Confederates benefited from their familiarity with the terrain and the backing of the civilian populace, as the war would be fought mostly in the South. Moreover, there were plenty of ways to get over the Union blockade along the expansive Texas–Virginia coastline. A far greater portion of natural resources and industrial might than the Deep South states could marshal was also acquired by the Confederacy with the inclusion of the Upper South states, particularly Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas. Nevertheless, the Confederacy had drawbacks. The naval blockade stopped the supply of cotton to England, the region's main importer, which was a major source of income for the South's economy. It was also challenging to import manufactured items because of the embargo. Overall, the South lacked significant industry and a robust railroad network to transfer people and goods, despite the Upper South's secession adding substantial industrial assets to the Confederacy. The Confederate government started issuing paper money to combat the lack of trade and the ensuing financial shortage, which resulted in uncontrollably high inflation. When Confederate soldiers were routed, Union forces destroyed Southern farms and villages, forcing Southern residents to flee by road. The benefit of fighting on home soil swiftly became a disadvantage. under the end, the South had a population of less than nine million, with about four million Black people under slavery, while the North had a population of over twenty million. When the conflict continued on and the death toll increased, these small numbers became a significant factor. Additionally, the Union side had several advantages. Due to its higher population and ongoing immigration from Europe in the 1860s, it had a larger pool of available labor. The North was significantly more effective at mobilizing troops and supplies for the war effort due to its larger railroad network and superior industrial capabilities. The North had been completely changed by the Industrial and Transportation Revolutions, which started in the 1820s and lasted for several decades. The North was able to transfer products faster than the South and generate more military materials during the conflict. Moreover, during the war, the farms of the prairie states, the Mid Atlantic, the Old Northwest, and New England provided an ample supply of food for both Union troops and Northern residents. Though not in the North, food shortages and starvation among civilians were prevalent in the South, where cotton production took up the finest land. But the North had to strike first and win, unlike the South, which could dig in to defend itself and just needed to keep relatively short supply lines. Long supply lines had to be established by Union troops, and soldiers had to fight in uncharted territory and deal with hostile civilians off the battlefield. Furthermore, after defeating the Southern armies, the United States would need to pacify a captured Confederacy, a territory of more than half a million square miles with almost nine million population, in order to restore the Union—Lincoln's primary purpose, in 1861. In other words, against the strategically superior Confederacy, the Union had a difficult challenge despite having a greater population and better resources.