The war led to division of the United State into North and South. South wanted to disintegrate from North in order to continue practicing slavery. Seven southern states formed a confederate and wanted to secede. The seven states included Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Texas, Louisiana, and South Carolina. Abraham Lincoln who was the current president in the United State rejected the secession. The confederate soldiers attacked the Union soldiers in 1661 at fort Sumter. The firing of fort Sumter led to Union soldiers to prepare for war and stop looking for a peaceful solution to the problem. The northerners crushed the south economy in order to end the war.
The union soldiers formed a naval blockade to the southern states that were under the confederation army. The blockade was put to cripple the economy of the states under the confederation army. The naval blockade meant that the confederate states would not send their agricultural products to Europe to earn income. The federal government denied ships from the South licenses to take goods to Europe. The year 1861, 300 war ships had been stationed in ports within the southern state (Foner 522). The confederation army could not take any step to resist because they did not have a naval force. The south brought trade ships from Britain and tried to convert them to battleships. The trade ships were sunk by union ships because they were built with wood. The blockade affected the rail and road transport within the southern state, which led to food shortage in cities and military camps.
The Union Soldier had an advantage of support from the government. The confederate soldiers had guessed that Britain would support them in case of war. The lack of ammunition support from the European states meant that the Confederate soldiers would work with minimal ammunitions against the well-equipped Union soldiers.
Harriet Tubman act of freeing slaves from the south was frustrating to the confederation soldiers. Tubman knowledge of the rivers and navigation direction in the south helped in liberating some regions. In the year 1963 Tubman guided three hundred soldiers black to the interior of south, which led to freeing of many slaves and burning of property (Foner 543). The frustration of loss of slaves and burning of properties in the south would play greatly in defeat of confederation armies. The union soldiers had the advantage of receiving intelligence from the freed slaves. The intelligence helped in learning about the movement of the confederation soldiers and launching attacks against the enemy.
The Union soldiers had large navy, which consisted of 45000 men compared to the South small navy. The naval took control of vital rivers that were used to access confederate controlled state in the South. The vast navy helped in moving the Union Soldiers in the East through water.
Volunteer members of the society provided huge army for the Union Soldiers. The Union Soldier had an advantage of getting extra volunteers from the European immigrants. The huge number of soldiers ensured that battlefields never lacked manpower. Blacks were allowed to join the Union army, which was not reciprocated within the confederation army. Historians provide data that 25% of union soldiers were foreigner while the confederate army composed of 9% foreign soldiers (Foner 555). The southern soldiers lacked a central base of control leading to some of the state becoming unruly after capture. Some of states like Missouri militia attacked soldiers and civilians leading to massive loss of property.
Works Cited
Foner, Eric. Give me Liberty! An America History 3rd ed. New York: Norton & Company Inc., 2005. Print.
