Disadvantages Of The North During The Civil War

At the beginning of the Civil War, the North and the South had many differences. Each side had its advantages, along with its disadvantages. There were political, economic, social, and military aspects in both the advantages and the disadvantages. The balance of these traits led to a severe, four year battle that marked one of the darkest times in U.S. history. In the beginning, the North had many advantages. On paper, the North was clearly more established than the South. There were twice as many states in the Union than there were in the Confederacy. This gave the North an advantage in voting power, support, job opportunity, and production. The North also had a major economic advantage. The numerous industries in the North provided it with

The North was at a disadvantage politically. Secession in the South began before President Buchanan left the White House and President Lincoln was inaugurated. Buchanan was a clear disadvantage to the government of the North. He was timid and indecisive. He declared secession illegal, but then said the Union could not do anything about it. He then backed down to the first request made by the new nation- the surrender of Fort Sumter. Until President Lincoln took office, there was a severe disadvantage in the North politically. There was also an economic detriment in the North. Although there was an abundance of industries throughout the Union, there was little farmland. The South excelled at making its own food, but the North was not as efficient at fending for itself. This severe disadvantage led the government to give free land to anyone who would go farm. Toward the end of the war, this strategy became an advantage for the Union, but at the beginning, it was a big problem. Socially, the North lacked the mindset that the South held. The Union was having to go into the South to try to repair the country. The South was just fighting for its beliefs. The different mindsets of the two armies as well as the citizens of each group provided the South with a step up from the North. Perhaps the worst disadvantage that the North faced was the unknown land. The Northern invaders did not

The political system of the Confederacy was new, so a president had to be chosen, as well as head military officers. The government was underdeveloped because it was just starting out. This was a disadvantage to the government that the North had at hand already. Another disadvantage to the South was the industrial areas in the United States. The Confederacy only had one-ninth of the industrial power that the North held. There was not even a rifleworks in the South at the beginning of the war. With no guns and no gunpowder, the South had to work fast to make it through the war. A social problem that the South faced in the beginning was resistance from Middle South and border slave states. There were fewer slaves in these states, and yeomen farmers had greater political power. This led to indecision and resistance when they were called on to secede by other slave states. Another major problem for the South throughout the war was the transportation of soldiers. The Confederacy controlled half the amount of railway that the North did. This meant that it was not as easy to get soldiers where they needed to be for battle. The disadvantages in the South would be a crucial factor in the Confederacy’s loss to the