Essay On Civil War Vs Confederate

The Union is often regarded as the stronger side in the American Civil War, with its larger population of 22 million in 1860 compared to the Confederacy’s 9 million, its strength in manufacturing of firearms, pig iron, railroad cars, its quantity of railroad lines, and its financial resources. (521)

But the South had many advantages and proved to be a formidable opponent. In the beginning of the war, the armies of the North and South were of comparable size and the Confederacy had strong leadership of highly trained officers. Of the nations 8 top military schools, 7 of them were in the South. General Robert E. Lee, was a brilliant leader and successfully utilized the Confederate tactic of adopting a defensive strategy to prevent the North from penetrating their territory while diminishing Union manpower with small concentrated forces. After blockades of the South were declared by President Abraham Lincoln, Confederate general Josiah Gorgas, responded by directing the
Their insistence on a purely agricultural economic system based on manual labor and their lack of a developed industrial economy with a central banking system weakened their ability to finance a major war. Congress refused to levy taxes on plantation owners and relied on an influx of paper money which became increasingly worthless without a means to back them up. The North’s blockade on the Southern ports restricted supplies coming in and limited goods being exported. Congress authorized impressment, allowing the military to confiscate food and other farm products from citizens to feed the army. This created resentment and bitterness from citizens who were struggling to feed their own families during a time of scarcity. With the supply of goods shut off, the Confederate army experienced shortages of food, clothing, and shoes, and hunger was prevalent and affecting