The Civil War Basic Summary

Civil War Basic Summary The battle of Fort Sumpter was important because it motivated the North to gather an army and begin fighting. It was a big mistake of the South not to allow the Union to bring supplies to the fort. Another important conflict was the ship Alabama, made for the Confederacy by Britain. Then Britain bought two battle ships that the South was building, to avoid starting a war with the North and having them invade Canada. The battle of Bull run is important because it led to the South being overconfident in their victory. The Seven Days Battle was significant because it demonstrated to the North and President Lincoln that total war against the South was necessary. The South did have some advantages though. Several Indian tribes joined the Confederacy, and the Union troops would have to move in and conquer the land, then force it to be a part of the Union again. They also had more talented military leaders than the North. But the North had more men, most of the railroads, and they controlled the sea. The government of the North was well established, and functioned with little difficulty in comparison to the new and hastily made government in the South. Both sides had disadvantages as well. The South began to run out of supplies, they did not have a major transportation system, and they had a weak economy. Some of their troops refused to fight outside their own states. The North’s disadvantages were the men being unprepared for military life, and poor choice of commanders. The aftermath of the war was awful. So many people had died, and so much property was ruined that bitter hatred between the two sides, though they were now united, would last a long time.