What were the resources of the North and South at the beginning of the Civil War?

Question

What were the resources of the North and south at the beginning of the American Civil War and how did they affect the strageties they used?

Answer 1

The North had way more people, railroads and industrial plant. It had a navy, where the South essentially started with none. The Southern menfolk were more used to horses, hunting and fighting, especially in contrast to the eastern Northerners -- the difference between farmboys in Iowa and Alabama weren't all that great. The military tradition was stronger in the South, lots of local militia companies. The South started the war with markedly better cavalry. The South also began with an advantage in military leadership -- many of the best West Point graduates "went south".

Strategies: 1) Because the North had to overthrow the rebellion -- i.e., conquer the South -- its strategy had to be offensive. The South could win with a successful defensive strategy, that is, if they preserved their territory to the point where the North sickened of war and/or the Confederacy were recognized as a new nation by the European powers, they would win. Of course, the Southern inferiority in men, armaments, and industrial capacity encouraged a defensive stance, which the South generally maintained, although a couple of (unsuccessful) offensives were launched into the North in hopes of winning prestige victories on Northern soil which would stimulate European intervention (recognition and/or mediation) (2) the Northern naval blockade of the South became more effective as more and more Southern ports were seized (by amphibious invasions) and more and better ships were put on blockade duty. This produced shortages of goods in the South and contributed to war weariness there, but it wasn't decisive -- the South didn't surrender until its armies were beaten apart 3) the North also used its riverine navy (gunboats and transports) to support its drive down the Mississippi and Tennessee rivers, which cut the south into smaller pieces 4) the South tried to maximize its cavalry advantage by cutting Union supply lines as the Northern armies advanced into Southern territory. 5) the North could, and did, eventually, fight a successful "attrition" strategy. The North lost more men than the South, but they could afford it. As a sidelight, more tactical than strategic, the Southern preference for the tactical offensive, and the physical bravery of their officer corps, resulted in very high casualty rates among their officers throughout the war -- ultimately reducing the caliber of these officers. But this is a minor issue. There's way more to think about here, but maybe this will get ;you started -- I'm tired of writing!

Answer 2

If you look strictly at logistics, the North definitely had more advantages. Nevertheless, the South always found a way to make up for their weaknesses. The North clearly had a larger population. With highly populated cities, the North had a LOT more men to fight in the war. The South had small populations, but the white men were able to leave their plantations to their wives and slaves and fight. The North had greater industry - New England was known for its lumber, ship-building, and weaponry (among other) industries. The South, which was famous for agriculture, was disadvantaged - the cotton and tobacco were not as useful, especially since the North blockaded the South, prevent trade. It's interesting to note that the South had the better leader - General Robert E. Lee was the BEST [Lincoln had even asked him to lead the Union troops, but his loyalty to Virginia came first.] Lincoln went through several generals until he came across Ulysses Grant; (Sherman was also helpful). This was a major reason for WHY the South was able to win battles initially. Northern troops later accepted African American troops, and had the advantage of even more troops. That's pretty much the MAJOR differences. Use google to find more, if you need :]

Answer 3

I recently read that the entire industrial power of the South was equal to about one-fourth that of New York. The North thought the war would be short lived, and the South was looking for outside help. They also hoped that the North would not want a war.