The Civil War

The North

Advantages of the North

• Had almost 4 times as many free citizens
• Had more than 70% of the nation's rail lines
• Had a strong navy and a large fleet of private trading ships
• Had many people to grow food and to work in factories making supplies

Disadvantages to the North

• Northern soldiers had to conquer a huge area to bring the South back into the Union
• North (Disadvantage) They were invading unfamiliar land

The South

Advantages of the South

• Had skills that made them good soldiers
• Defending their homeland gave them a strong reason to fight
• Many of the best officers in the United States were from the South

Disadvantages of the South

• More than 1/3rd of the population was enslaved; therefore they had fewer people that could be soldiers
• The South had a small population, about 9 million lived in the Confederacy and 22 million in the Union
• Had few factories to produce weapons, railroad tracts, and other supplies