Goals Of North And South During The Civil War

Joanna Wallace
Dr. Hedtke
HHIS 315
March 9, 2023
Goals of North and South Early on, the Civil War was primarily a military conflict with constrained political goals. While the South fought for freedom, the North fought for unity. But as the conflict dragged on, it steadily evolved into an unanticipated social, economic, and political upheaval. In addition to reunification, the Union's military endeavor also included the outlawing of enslavement. The Union had to attack the South, vanquish the Confederate forces, and take over the region to bring about freedom.
At the onset of the Civil War, unity was the primary objective of the North. The Battle of Fort Sumter put an end to any possibility of agreement, and the North then launched an assault

Gaining the support of the neighboring states, which provided significant physical benefits, prevented resources from going to the South. Finally, the North was able to secure the backing of all four: Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware (Strengths and Weaknesses: North Vs. South, n.d.). The Union intended to metaphorically suffocate the South with a maritime embargo using the Anaconda Plan. Confederate forces ultimately needed to exert enough pressure on the Union to wear down its resolve to battle. This tactic was defeated by the Emancipation Proclamation (The North and the South, 2008). In addition to raising Northern spirits, it also negatively impacted the Confederate cause. The British and French would not back a cause that was overtly pro-slavery, so it dashed any Confederate aspirations for their involvement. Second, the Confederates lost a significant labor supply with the end of slavery. They could no longer depend on slave populations to provide labor while they were at war. The South was on the back foot and outnumbered in terms of supplies and personnel. To gain the support of the neighboring states, the Confederacy hoped for an early triumph. Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware were neighboring states that still had slaves but weren't sure whether to secede. Gaining the backing of these neighboring nations provided access to more produced products, food,

More than any other occurrence in American history, the Civil War had a profound impact on every individual and organization. Hundreds of thousands of young Americans lost their lives in battles supporting or opposing Southern states' attempts to leave the Union and maintain a slave-based economy. The conflict left a lasting impact on civilians as well as every element of society, the business, and the political structure.

References

Emancipation Proclamation. (2022, July 19). Research Guides at Library of Congress. https://guides.loc.gov/emancipation-proclamation/introduction
Strengths and Weaknesses: North vs. South. (n.d.). U.S. History Online Textbook. https://www.ushistory.org/us/33b.asp
The North and the South. (2008, December 19). American Battlefield Trust. https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/north-and-south
The North During the Civil War. (n.d.). The Library of Congress.