Why the North Won the Civil War
As many understand now, the Confederacy’s economy was based almost entirely on what it could produce agriculturally. Essentially, the economy was built on the backs of slaves and when the war began, there was only one iron foundry south of the Mason Dixon line. Confederate leaders remained sure this, as well as cotton and other agricultural endeavors would be enough to see the states through the war and beyond. They may have been correct in believing this at the time, as Britain relied heavily on the cotton resources to continue their textile industries, and Confederate leaders assumed if the North intervened with cotton shipments to Britain, Britain would come to their aid. After all, eighty percent of Britain’s cotton came from America prior to the war’s outbreak. Unfortunately, the Confederacy got it wrong; they had no outside allies and instead only business partners who were prepared to cut all ties with them. Britain had a surplus of the Confederacy’s cotton, and had begun getting cotton from other sources. Moreover, once British laborers were alerted to the slavery in the south, they refused to support it; the South was on its own.
The confederacy’s assumption that Britain would come to their aid had been wrong; no backup plan was in place. The North’s blockades proceeded uninhibited, forcing the South’s economy into submission. By 1863, the $1 million in gold-backed currency which had circulated through the Confederacy had become $900 million, making them each worth about three cents. The Union faced economic struggles throughout the war, but was better prepared as it began and was able to weather the storm. The war drained supplies, but influxes of gold and silver from Western states, as well as technological advancements helped the North overcome the South in this area.
Though the Confederacy had no help and a suffering economy, actions on the battlefield would have made all the difference. Unfortunately, they appeared to miss every crucial opportunity to do so. For example, if Stonewall Jackson had realigned troops properly during battles taking place in June and July of 1862, Lee may have caused more traumas to the North allowing for the South to recoup, or even win after the Seven Days battles. Moreover, had Jackson not fallen at Chancellorsville, his leadership may have provided the backbone needed once more by Lee, allowing him to win in Gettysburg, a battle which is now known as a crucial piece of the North’s win. They were also slow to respond to an incident wherein the North stopped a British naval ship in order to arrest two Confederate generals, an action that was against the law at that time .
In sum, the South had a slim chance of winning, but had many things working against it. With no allies, it became easy for the Confederacy to be targeted in its weakest spots by the North. Blockades put in place by the North encouraged the South’s economy to tank, disallowing any promise of recovery. Finally, several key battles that could have helped the South win the war were squandered or lost for a variety of reasons, propelling the North further even more.
Works Cited
Faragher, John Mack. Out of Many: A History of the American People, AP* Edition, 8th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Upper Education, 2016. 1-12.
Faragher, John Mack, et al. Out of Many: A History of the American People, AP* Edition, 8th Edition. Upper Saddle River: Pearson Higher Education, 2016.
