Why the North beat the south in the civil war?

Question

Compare and contrast the North and the South immediately prior to the Civil War. For ex : The South were obviously the underdog because the North had a larger population due to the fact that the North had factories that supplied people with jobs, which meant they had a larger army then the South. The North also had a Navy in which they could blockade the South. The North also had more and better railroads in which they could supply their soldiers with ammunition, food/water, medicine at a much faster rate than the South could. But what else? I need more.

Answer 1

All those reasons you listed, the North having a larger population, better transportation and Navy are pretty much it. Additional reasons would be that Abraham Lincoln was able to run the government better because it was already established by that time, while Jefferson Davis had a hard time managing even though he was the president of the South. Industrialization also helped the North in being able to produce more ammunition and weapons.

Answer 2

Largely logistics were the critical factor. The North imposed blockades against the South and as the war progressed, these blockades became harder and harder to run - with the result that supplies to wage the war - or to support the populace for that matter - were cut off and the South was brought to its knees.

Answer 3

Although this war was especially difficult for both sides, it seems the South suffered more. This is essentially due to the answer to your question: lack of resources. It's all well and good to have an agricultural base if your manufacturing base is also part of the same group to which you belong. If, however, you alienate those elements which produce the goods you need in order to win your war because you're fighting *against* them, then you're essentially, cosmically, screwed.

Answer 4

The south had to control and police more of thier population during the war. They had to keep soldiers to prevent slave revolts. Although northern cities had riots. The North used more modern but brutal tactics, like Total War and Sherman's march to the sea.

Answer 5

North - Industrialized
South - Agricultural

Answer 6

You've covered most of the major points, but to address a couple of them VERY briefly:

For the first year of the war, the blockade was mainly a paper blockade. The Federal Navy had fewer than 100 ships to blockade over 3,000 miles of coastline in 1861. If President Davis had not played games trying to use cotton to get European powers involved, the South could have shipped huge amounts of cotton to Europe and established a great deal of credit that could have been used both to purchase war material and influence the European powers. Davis neglected the fact that the Cotton harvest of 1860 was the biggest to that date (it was not equaled until 1890) and European warehouses were already full of Southern cotton. By "respecting" the blockade and asking French and British help to raise the blockade, Davis cut the South's own throat.

Federal armies were not swollen because of the Northern factories, but by immigrants. A significant percentage, I don't remember the number, of Federal troops were Irish, German, and Italian immigrants. All through the War, immigrants poured into US ports of entry, while immigration into the Confederacy was almost non-existent. Whole divisions were formed using Irish and German immigrants. A higher percentage of Confederate males served in the Confederate armed forces than US citizens served in the Federal armed services. With a virtually unlimited supply of manpower, the Federals were bound to outnumber the Confederates. For the first three years of the War, the superior leadership of Confederate Generals largely counterbalanced the numerical inequality. By mid-1864, the superior numbers and better equipment was starting to wear down Confederate morale, and power to resist.

In spite of the lopsided manufacturing capabilities, the Confederacy performed miracles. Ingenious Confederates invented numerous weapons systems that were the forerunners of many weapons still in modern use, and they built an astounding array of manufacturing ventures. With not a single powder mill in the country in 1861, the Confederacy built numerous gunpowder plants, most notably those in and around Columbus, GA. Only one manufactured item was never in short supply for the Confederate Army, and that was gunpowder. Only a dilapidated and mangled transportation system failed to get gunpowder to the place it was needed. Dozens of companies sprang up to manufacture firearms of all sorts, many of them highly inovative. One Confederate Arsenal built the world's first quick firing cannon, it was a 1-pounder capable of firing a dozen shots per minute, limited production facilities failed to produce this gun in sufficient quantities. Most Confederate gunmakers faced the same problem.

The South also built a small but highly innovative Navy. In addition to being in the forefront of ironclad development, the Confederate Navy also launched the first submarine to sink an enemy warship, the Hunley, and they developed an entire class of small semi-submersible torpedo boats called "Davids." Nearly all Confederate ironclads suffered from the same weakness, lousy engines. Not having the capability to build powerful steam engines, the CSN resorted to using engines designed for use on river steamers, commercial steam ships, and cotton gin engines, all were woefully underpowered for propelling a heavy ironclad ram at sufficient speed to run down faster Federal ships.

And Bryan F. is correct that the difference in tactics and strategy were also a factor. Federals early on adopted a policy of pillage and arson, epitomized by Sheridan's Valley Campaign, and Sherman's March to the Sea. Wanton destruction, and looting were the policy from the beginning. The Confederates, fighting on their own ground, did not behave in such a barbaric manner. Even during Lee's two abortive invasions, looting and arson were strictly forbidden and more than a few who attempted to get revenge for loss of homes were arrested and some were hanged. All in all, Lee was a gentleman and he fought as a gentleman. Sherman, Sheridan, et al were not gentlemen and they fought without restraint, compassion, or respect for civilian property.

Hundreds of thousands of pages have been written to answer your question, and going in depth here is impossible. I hope these few paragraphs have at least given you some ideas for further research.

Doc

Answer 7

The North had the full support of it's people whilst the South didn't have the full support of the slaves in it's population

Answer 8

Sheer numbers and the resources to feed and supply their troops!

Answer 9

Manufacturing trumps agriculture.

This is why America will lose all future wars.
.

Answer 10

God