essay explaining the following aspects of the Civil War in the U.S.: 1. Describe theWriter’s choice

Read the “Regional Advantages” section (pp. 484-485) and the “A Transforming War” section (pp. 527-529) in the textbook.

Compose a 600-word essay explaining the following aspects of the Civil War in the U.S.:

1. Describe the advantages of both the North and the South.
2. Explain why the North ultimately won the war.
3. In what ways was the United States a different country after the Civil War?

ANSWER

The Civil War

Advantages of the North and the South

The North

The North had an industrial advantage. At the beginning of the war, the confederacy had only a ninth of the industrial capacity of the union. The North had the advantage since all the ingredients of gun powder were imported and the North controlled the navy and the seas which they used to their advantage to block the South from accessing. The North had twice the density id railroads per square mile. There were no rifle works in the entire South giving the North the upper hand.

The South

The South had the capability of producing all the food it needed. It also possessed a nucleus of trained officers as 99 percent of the military colleges were in the South. The strength of the South was in that it was fighting on the defensive in its territory. This meant they were familiar with the territory giving them the advantage as the northerners did not know the terrain. The southerners were also very resourceful. By the end of the war, they had armories and foundries in several States. They also built gunpowder mils and melted church and plantation bells for bronze which they used to build cannons.

Explain why the North Ultimately won the war

The North was more industrial compared to the South. It produced 94 percent of the USA’s pig iron and 97 percent of the firearms. The North was richer and had more varied agriculture that the South. Generally, the North was better than the South in many ways. While the southerners had to get creative and create their own gun powder, the North had access to the ingredient as it controlled the seas and the navy. The North also has control of shipping and railroad avenues which allowed them to trade and get supplies quickly. Slaves also fled to the union armies which meant that they had more manpower compared to the South. The confederacy also hoped that other countries such as France and Britain would come to help them as they needed cotton but these countries already had enough cotton. The confederate side also did not have the support of all the Confederate States. There were plenty of southerners who supported the union. The victory of the North was also a contribution of Lee’s offensive war strategy which had high casualties, crippling the South as their army was destroyed.

In what ways was the United States a different country after the Civil War?

The Civil War changed the US greatly. The war years gave birth to technological advancements. Some of the advancements that were a result of the war include the transcontinental railroad, mass production of canned food, new telegraph lines which reached the west coast, and battlefield photography. The civil war also led to military advancements. It is considered the first modern war with both sides developing equipment and tactics that would be used and improved in later conflicts. Some of the military advancements that were made during the civil war include machine guns, submarines, landmines, and ironclad ships. The veteran’s legacy developed as a result of the civil war. It left a system of care and honor for those who fought in the civil war. The civil war brought about the first national cemeteries, a network of soldier’s homes that later became veteran’s administration and social care for veteran’s widows and orphans.