Civil War

Strengths of the North

Large population: 22 million people lived in the North compared to 9 million in the South.

90% of manufacturing and banks are in the North (easy access to money and goods)

More food to feed both armies and citizens at once

More railroad tracks allowed troops and supplies to move quickly

Weaknesses of the North

Bad military leadership

Difficult war goal: to invade the South and conquer it completely

Strengths of the South

• Belief that they were fighting to defend their liberty, homes and traditions

• Strong military leadership

Weaknesses of the South

Losing the Mississippi River could split the South in two

Small populationEconomy could not

support a long warNot many railroads:

difficulty moving large amounts of men and supplies

Money invested in slaves and land, not in industry and banking led to money shortages

Abraham Lincoln vs. Jefferson Davis

Lincoln

Self-educated-had less than a year of formal schooling. Taught himself the rest and became a lawyer

Always thought that the North would win, that the Union was never to be broken

Jefferson Davis

President of the Confederacy (Southern States)

Believed he was fighting for rights guaranteed to him by the Founding Fathers

Never really liked politics: he only became president out of a sense of duty

Had trouble keeping the Southern states together