Civil War North Vs. South

Front 1

Population

Back 1

Larger Population
The north had a large population. This meant that they had a bigger army (3x’s more. They could replace soldiers who died or were injured more easily. Also there were enough people to keep their economy going on the farms and in the factories.

Smaller Population
The south had a smaller army to start out. They couldn’t replace the loss of men from big battles like Gettysburg and Vicksburg. All their manpower was in the war. There were not enough men left to raise crops and keep their economy going.

Front 2

Economy

Back 2

Independent Economy
The north did not have to rely on anyone else to keep their economy going. They did not rely on trade for their income.

Dependent Economy
The south didn’t make their own goods. Their economy was based on cash crops that had to be traded so they could buy what they needed. When they couldn’t trade anymore, they couldn’t keep going.

Front 3

Supplies & Transportation

Back 3

Good Supplies & Transportation
The north had more farmland for crops, industry and transportation (railroads) to get their supplies to their troops.

Less supplies & Poor transportation.
The south didn’t have the farmland, factories, or railroads that they needed for supplies.

Front 4

Training

Back 4

Less Training
The northern soldiers were city boys who didn’t know how to ride or shoot. Their officers went to college instead of military school. They had to be trained from scratch.

Good Training
The south had soldiers who were better trained to start out. Southern country boys knew how to hunt and ride horses. There were military schools there where their leaders were trained.

Front 5

Offensive War/Defensive War

Back 5

Offensive War
The north had to do the difficult job of invading an area and controlling the people who live there.

Defensive War
The south was fighting a defensive war where they just had to hang on and keep fighting to beat the North. They didn’t have to invade anyone or control them.

Front 6

Government

Back 6

Strong Government
The north had a strong central government. The president could make decisions and follow through on them. The states and the federal government were balanced and efficient.

Weak Government
The south had a weak central government. The states had all the power, so there was no one to keep them all together on decisions and strategy .

Front 7

Leadership

Back 7

Poor Leadership
The north had a series of generals who could not get much done until Ulysses S. Grant showed up.

Good Leadership
The south had General Robert E. Lee to lead their army. He was a brave and smart general and a good leader.