Preview

Why the American Civil War Lasted for Longer Than 90 Days

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1156 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Why the American Civil War Lasted for Longer Than 90 Days
Why the American Civil War lasted for longer than 90 days The North had expected their war with the south to last for no more than 90 days. They not only had more men up in the north but they had more resources as well. Now why couldn't they defeat the south? I have to say it is due to the incompetence of the north's generals commanding the army, and the army itself. On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln called on the states to provide 75,000 militia men for 90 days to put down the rebellion of the south.
On the other hand, the south had the state of Virginia on its side; this gave them a better chance of victory. It was the home of Robert E. Lee, a brave leader who had been Lincoln's choice for commanding the union army. When Virginia seceded, Lee resigned from the United States army and joined the confederacy, Lee soon found himself commanding the confederate army.
The Union (the north) had three great advantages during the civil war. They had a population of roughly about 22 million people, whereas the confederacy only has roughly about 7 million. The north also had its factories up there, the demands of the north hastened the new phase of the industrial revolution, which would soon begin to produce steel. However, the union's greatest advantage was not the fact that they were wealthy, but the fact that they had Abraham Lincoln leading the union.
Rico 2
The confederacy had two great advantages during the civil war. The confederates had generals who had experience from fighting in the Mexican War. They began the civil war with experienced generals. The second advantage that the confederates had was that they would be fighting a defensive war. Meaning that they wouldn't be fighting on foreign land, but in their own territory, therefore they would have more integrity to win their battles against the union.
The two sides had their own reasons for fighting in the war. The union was trying to reunite the country. And the confederates were fighting to remain
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Who Won the Civil War: North or South
    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Who Won the Civil War: North or South

    For the south it was nearly impossible to win the war . The north had many advantageson the south, which created a large difference in the outcome of the Civil War. The North had a bigger population, better leadership, and Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was a leader of the union, and led them to many great victories with his decision making on generals to lead the Union. The north had many plans to shut down the south, though they often took longer than what was expected of them, so many of them were stopped by generals or were figured out by the south.…

    • 306 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Who Won the Civil War?
    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Who Won the Civil War?

    Even with all the advantages the union had in their position at the time of the war, although the union still almost lost to the rebellious southern states. Before the death of Stonewall Jackson the southern states had the upper hand in the war even without the man power and weaponry or the union. The southern states a new found province did not have the money or the industry to support a war. I believe the death of Stonewall Jackson in chancellor’s Ville changed the outcome of the war. Lee without his right hand man makes careless mistake which leads to his surrender to grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia. The Civil War was inevitable the north and south where doomed to battle over slavery issue sooner or later. Not because the north was worried about the rights or miss treatment of the slaves in the south but because of the power the south had in congress. This is explainable, because if slavery was the big picture then why didn’t Lincoln emancipate the slave in the northern states? If Lincoln would have freed the slaves in the northern states the union would have lost those states as well and indefinitely lost the war. “Antietam, though hardly the victory he had hoped for, gave Lincoln the excuse he needed to take a step that changed the character of…

    • 588 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Why The South Lost the Civil War
    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Why The South Lost the Civil War

    The loss of the South in the Civil War was the result of various contributions. First of all, they were underequipped in artillery and production factories. The South’s population was about one fourth of the North’s excluding slaves. They were not united and lost because their own philosophical beliefs that destroyed them. Further, the South was underequipped and outclassed in everything industrially. They’re only hope of taking a military advantage was support from European countries. However, those connections were cut when the North blockaded the South and when the North incited the European public to support the North’s effort preventing European interference. Although there was a high morale to serving the Confederacy and to destroying the Union cause, they didn’t have the materials to do so. Many would just fight with stones or any primitive makeshift weapon they could use when they were depleted of bullets because of their low artillery production. The South also had much less supply lines. Their railroads were half that of the North’s and became less as the North decimated the South’s rail lines. The North figured that it would be wiser to destroy their supply lines and weaken the troops. However destroying food lines wouldn’t be a problem because the South couldn’t even supply food because as men were drafted into the army, the agricultural farms withered away due to lack of maintenance. Another disadvantage would be the size of the South. The ratio of people of South to North was about 3 to 7. However 3.5 million of those Southern people were slaves, so the actual ratio would be about 1 to 4. Considering the North’s territorial advantage over the South, it is impressive to see that the South could sustain such a defense over the four years of the war. The reason could be that the South had better trained generals such as…

    • 1221 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Civil War Essay
    • 398 Words
    • 1 Page

    Civil War Essay

    The Civil War was being fought by a nation divided. Although the Union and Confederacy both believed that there should be a national government, the North was more economically advanced while the South was dependent upon slavery.…

    • 398 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    "Why was the civil war so long and so bloody?"
    • 1562 Words
    • 5 Pages

    "Why was the civil war so long and so bloody?"

    When the war began it was a slight shock to both sides, this was due to neither one truly wanting, or believing, that they 'd fight. In the North, it was viewed that the talks of fighting was just a counter in politics, and threats were used to get what you want, calling their bluff. The South on the other hand didn 't realise that the Federal Union meant so much to the North, and presumed that the North would be happy to be rid of slave owners and any obligations to…

    • 1562 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Civil War Vs South's Industrial Economy Analysis
    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Civil War Vs South's Industrial Economy Analysis

    3.Due to the substantial differences between the North’s industrial economy and the South’s agricultural economy they both had distinct advantages and disadvantages during the war. To begin with, the North’s economy was far superior to the South’s because the North had two-thirds of the nation’s population, two-thirds of the railroad mileage, and almost 90% of the nation’s industrial output. Also, many of the North’s arm factories were equipped with mass production which allowed them to compete with the gun manufacturing centers and armories of the South. The Northern economy helped them have much greater supply of resources compared to the South. On the other hand, the Confederacy had slaves which helped provide food for the army and provide the most important good of all, cotton. The South was able to use cotton as diplomatic weapon which they thought they could use to persuade France or Britain to assist or side with the Confederacy. We can also see this as a disadvantage to the Northern economy because they had no such tool or weapon to use to obtain foreign assistance or aid. Unfortunately this same advantage for the South also led to a severe disadvantage. Because the majority of the people living in the South did not own slaves, they were not the ones producing cotton. This meant that the majority of the…

    • 831 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Chapter Outline Apush Ch.15
    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Chapter Outline Apush Ch.15

    The Civil War has been called the first modern war. It depended on railroads, mass-produced weapons, joint army-navy tactics, iron-plated warships, rifled guns and artillery, and trench warfare. The Confederacy had just 9 million people as compared with 22 million in the Union in 1861, and although the Confederacy had only a fraction of the industrial capacity of its opponent, the South was fighting in defense of its own homeland. The North had longer supply lines and the problem of occupying captured areas. It had to commit a greater proportion of its men away from the front than did the South, which could count…

    • 1043 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels
    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Michael Shaara's The Killer Angels

    The Confederates (also referred to as the “South” or the “Grays”) are led by a gentleman who values and morals are waivered by no outside influence; his name is General Robert E. Lee, also known as “the Old Gray Fox”. He is a very religious man who takes time to observe what is happening and waits to make a decision and sequentially allows his actions to unfold with the support of his trusted underlings and his God. “’…General Lee makes decisions and he moves,’” (Shaara 251). **As well as all of these, Lee was passionate and determined about winning the war. ** He truly cared for all that worked with him before and during the war as seen in chapter two, part three, after learning of Reynolds’s death, Reynolds“…his mind flashed a vision of Reynolds. A neat trim man. A gentleman, a friend. Lee shook his head…Reynolds dead. Gone.” (Shaara 104).…

    • 548 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Civil War the Real Reason
    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The Civil War the Real Reason

    The Civil War:The Real ReasonWhat was the Civil War The Civil War began April 12, 1861 with the attacks of Fort Sumter, and did not end until April 9, 1865 with the surrender of General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army. Over 620,000 died in the war, along with disease killing twice as many as those lost in battle. 50,000 survivors returned home as amputees. So why was this war fought?A common misconception It is a commonly held view that President Lincoln fought the Civil War to free the slaves. Many believe that this was his goal, that he was the first president to care about the slaves. Based on facts from the video: The Anguish of the Emancipation, I do not agree with this common misconception. The abolishment of slavery was just one of the results after the war. We discuss the common scapegoats, such as slavery, or economics, or tariff policy, or even political power, however these are not the kind of things that a man would sacrifice and die for. The Civil War, I believe was a fight between the North and the South. Each trying to protect their own system and way of life. The Civil War was not fought to free the slaves but to make America into what it would be and what it would mean to be an American.The north vs. the south In the 1800’s America was divided into two parts, North and South. The clash between the two different systems held by each caused there to be tension and eventually caused the inescapable war. The North was an Industrial land. Their factories consisted of paid workers. Slavery was no longer something that the North relied on or believed in. Slavery was now against their way of life and ultimately the North wanted to protect that. The South, however was a much more agricultural land, which produced natural goods. Slaves were the backbone of the South’s economic status. The South still believed in the system of slavery and knew it was a major part of their success. Tension between the North and South aroused because both wanted to…

    • 822 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why the South Could Not Win the Civil War
    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Why the South Could Not Win the Civil War

    <br>Another reason the South well fell short of a victory was the obvious difference in population between the South and the North. The North at the time had twenty-two million men while the South had a meager nine-and-a-half million, of whom three-and-a-half million were slaves. While the slaves could be used to support the war effort through work on the plantations, in industries and as teamsters and pioneers with the army, they were not used as a combat arm in the war to any extent. This cuts the South's manpower by a third, leaving a fifteen-and-a-half million difference in the population of the two areas. Give the South fifteen-and-a-half million more possible soldiers, and the outcome would have been different.…

    • 537 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare and Contrast Union and Confederacy in Civil War
    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Compare and Contrast Union and Confederacy in Civil War

    The challenges that the Union and the Confederacy faced during the Civil War were very different. Critical weaknesses that seemed unfit for war, plagued the opposing American forces, and would serve to be a continuous obstacle that would need to be conquered by patriotism of the people, for their opposing views. To allow for both sides to be competitive, the efforts put forth had to mold to the varied needs of the armies by both the civilian population and their militaries. To the people in the south the similarity to the colonists in the Revolutionary War, was assimilated to their separatist cause in the Civil War and would be their drive to compete with the dominating Northern states. This mindset started the Confederacy in the Civil War, despite many disadvantages, with the confidence in defeating Union forces, before becoming overwhelmed and being defeated after four well fought years.…

    • 1651 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    In what ways and to what extent did constitutional and social developments between 1860 and 1877 amount to a revolution?
    • 546 Words
    • 2 Pages

    In what ways and to what extent did constitutional and social developments between 1860 and 1877 amount to a revolution?

    The Civil War lasted four years, from April of 1861 to April of 1865. It physically separated the nation into two, in which the South seceded from the North. The two sides fought for the struggle over slavery - the South was for it, while the North was against it. The South argued that the North was attempting to limit their rights given to them by the Constitution; their rights to exercise those powers were restrained heavily by the politically dominant North. The North at first made a statement stating that the main purpose of the war was to maintain the Union and to keep the South from breaking apart. However, as the war went on, Lincoln found fighting for these terms was impossible; he knew that the slaves had to be freed. This decision to abolish slavery stirred up controversy in the Union, for many white men, while they opposed slavery, did not like the idea that they were fighting for African-Americans. Many riots erupted from many Union states come draft day, clearly showing the unsettlement and dissatisfaction that Americans had with the idea of freeing slaves. The North not only had to deal with the South, but also with themselves.…

    • 546 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Killer Angels
    • 1844 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Killer Angels

    During the Civil War, there were two sides, the Confederate Army and the Union Army. While the Confederates fought for slavery, the Union fought for their freedom. While the Confederates fought for the continuance of state’s rights, the Union fought, the Union fought for what its name stood for, preserving the Union.While one side seemed to be more religious, the other seemed to remain rather independent .…

    • 1844 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Civil War Has Also Been Called “War Between the States” and the “War for Southern Independence”. Which of the Three Tittles Do You Find Most Apt? Why?
    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The Civil War Has Also Been Called “War Between the States” and the “War for Southern Independence”. Which of the Three Tittles Do You Find Most Apt? Why?

    The Old South had had troubles with the United States since the beginning of the 19th century. Unfortunately everything culminated in the elections of 1860, where president Lincoln was elected, representing the Republican Party, and South Carolina started something that would lead to a disastrous finale, secession. Since the Republican Party was sectional (from the North), the South was confident that Lincoln would never have their best interests at heart. Following South Carolina’s footsteps, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas seceded as well. Which eventually lead the United States to fight for their Union. As a proof that they could, and wanted to be independent, the Confederacy adopted a Constitution in 1861, which was very similar to the one of the United States, except that it had many problems with taxation and states versus federal rights. The South being able to create their own government, with president Jefferson Davis in command, demonstrated the fact that the South not only yearned for their freedom, but also that they were prepared to defend their new acquired sense of independence at all costs. The Confederacy displayed their determination and high sense of morale in Fort Sumter,…

    • 711 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Compare And Contrast Union And Confederate
    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Union And Confederate

    The South had very limited gunpowder factories and had to rely on imported weapons and ammunition, this led to their soldiers being poorly equipped. They also had no tax structure and no naval reinforcements.…

    • 379 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics