The Unions Advantages The Civil War was a war between the Union and the Confederacy with the North named the Union also known as the Yankees or Yanks for short. The Union had many advantages including a bigger population included nearly 21 million people. Secondly, the Union also had an industrial advantage at the time as it produced 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. Thirdly, the Union Controlled the seas and they also had well-developed railroads including 21,000 miles of railroad track which provided fresh supplies of arms, men, equipment, horses, and medical supplies on direct routes to the army's camping …show more content…
While the Union may have had many advantages the Confederacy had great strength in its military leadership. Most of America’s best military offices were Southerners who chose to fight for the Confederacy. But the Confederacy’s disadvantages ended up outweighing the advantages. Some disadvantages include population, industrialization, transportation, and financial resources. The South had a far less population than the North, which meant there were more soldiers to fight in the war. Secondly, the North was much more industrialized than the South, with more factories and better infrastructure. This allowed the North to produce more weapons, ammunition, and other supplies necessary for warfare. Thirdly, The North had a well-developed transportation system that included railroads that allowed them to move troops and supplies quickly across the country while the South had a less developed transportation system that made it difficult to transport troops and supplies quickly. Lastly, The North has greater financial resources than the South, with a more developed banking system and greater access to credit. This allowed them to finance the war effort more …show more content…
The main economic difference between the North and the South was their dependence on different types of labor. The North was industrialized and relied on wage labor in large factories, while the South was mainly agricultural and relied on slave labor. The North and the South had different views on the expansion of slavery into new territories. The North opposed the expansion of slavery and wanted to restrict it from existing slave states. While the South believed that they had the right to expand slavery into new territories. These differences led to political conflicts including the Missouri Compromise and the Kansas-Nebraska Act. These conflicts peaked in the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, who opposed the expansion of slavery. The election eventually led to several southern states seceding from the Union and forming the Confederate States of America in 1861 which ultimately led to the outbreak of the Civil War. Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the Civil War. The significance of the battle was marked the first significant defeat of Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s army. It was one of the most bloody wars with about 51,000 casualties. The Union’s victory would give a major morale boost and would end Lee’s plan to invade the North. The victory also strengthened support for Abraham Lincoln’s efforts to preserve the Union and abolish slavery.