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American history buffs surely have a wealth of knowledge about the American civil war, having read or watched plenty of references about it. They would have probably even met with like-minded people to speculate and debate over its many nuances over coffee or a meal. Probably one of the hot topics they’ve discussed is why the North won the Civil War.
In the sample essay below, the author shares his personal take on why the Civil War concluded with a North win. He looks at intricate details of the circumstances surrounding the war before and during it happened, and explains why these were key indicators of the North winning over the Southern states.
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Unveiling the Tapestry of the American Civil War: Why the North Won
We all know what happened during the Civil War: the bottom line is that the North won. After years of tension and escalating conflict, intense debate, temporary compromises, and short-lived peace, the election of Abraham Lincoln and the public announcement to abolish slavery triggered a resentful and defiant reaction from the Southern states, leading to the famous secession that secured the inevitability of war.
While we know the differences in ideologies between the North and the South were the root cause of the conflict to begin with, let’s explore the reasons why the North triumphed over their enemy. What was it about the Northern force that enabled them to secure victory over the Confederate army?
First off, the North had the larger manufacturing capability to produce weapons of war. It is a well-known fact that the Northern states already boasted of an industrialized economy during the time of the Civil War. They had already undergone industrialization whereas the South remained in a generally agrarian state. Despite the South’s passion for their ideologies, zeal alone will not win them a physical war.
Second, the South had a lot of difficulties raising the financial resources needed to go to war. Despite newfound prosperity during the cotton boom and using slaves to lower the cost of labor even more, the fact was that most of the wealth was located in the North due to their larger population. Despite trying to use taxes to raise the money needed, the population in the South was too small to provide financial sustenance to the Confederate Army. It was also hard for investors to take the high risk of putting in their money into a country that does not yet exist – or a group that hasn’t yet secured victory.
Third, the South was just as outmaneuvered at sea. The Union Navy was inherently stronger than that of the Confederate. The North also outsmarted the South by preventing the arrival of supplies to the Confederate Army through a naval blockade of ports in the South, effectively keeping out supplies and even keeping valuable cotton from making its way to foreign ports.
Fourth, the North is also superior when it comes to ground transport – an important aspect in planning for and going into war. A heavily-industrialized North meant that they had invested in increasing their transport capacity to accommodate manufactured goods through the development of railroads. The Northern states had good rail networks connecting them to different manufacturing hotspots across various cities, while the South had minimal railroad development. Most of their shipments come and go via sea – and this was unfortunately blocked and patrolled by the North, via the Union Navy.
Fifth, the larger population of the North played in their favor. More than just providing the necessary financial resources through taxes, the people also contributed through warm bodies. Despite suffering an initially larger number of casualties, the North was not as severely affected as it should have been because they were able to immediately replace the people who were killed. This was a situation that was not as true for the South. While they never wavered in zeal on the battlefield, there simply weren’t enough Southern soldiers to withstand the constant approach of the Union Army. Whatever casualties they had from each battle, they would not be able to easily replace.
Finally, the issue of internal political tension in the Confederate South dampened the states’ attempt to secure victory over the North in the Civil War. For instance, the replacement of troops, which should be a natural reaction to sustaining casualties on the field, was the subject of debate in the Confederate government. Such internal conflict meant double the problems to contend with. Not only did the Confederate South have to figure out how to win over their enemy, but they also had to find a way to get along with their own states. The individual states were too concerned about losing men for their own territories.
Conclusion
The optimism, bravery, and passion of the South were truly commendable. However, one of the things we will learn from the Civil War is that these three things will only get you so far. There is a point wherein you will have to get practical and look at all the resources you have to fight and consider how it weighs up against your enemy’s.
In the end, the Northerners proved superior over the Southerners with their industrialized economy, useful rail network, larger population, and tactical strengths.
FAQs on Why Did the North Win the Civil War
❓ What are three reasons the North secured the ultimate victory in the Civil War?
First, the Northern states put together boasted of a much larger population than the Southern states. This not only had implications on financial resources but also on manpower. A larger population meant that more taxes could be raised to fund the Union forces. At the same time, more warm bodies mean that casualties on the field could be immediately replaced, in time for the next battle. Second, the North won because it had an advantage over the South at sea and on the ground. The Union Navy was able to patrol the Southern ports and tactically keep war supplies from finding their way into the Confederate Army’s hands. Third, the Confederate states had internal problems coming together to fight a common cause. They were more intent on protecting each individual state, so sending more soldiers to fight was an idea that was met with reluctance and pushback.
❓ Why did the North have favor on its side when it came to winning the Civil War?
The North always had the cards in their favor because they were stronger economically and financially, which meant that they had the structures in place to go to war and to sustain it until victory was achieved.