Advantages that the North had over the South Leading to the Civil War Before the American Civil War had started the North had many advantages over the South that would help lead the North to victory. These resources gave northern soldiers the upper hand against the southern soldiers during many of the battles. Without the advantages the North had over the South, the Civil War could have had a different ending for the United States. The Union was better equipped for the Civil War because of a range of advantages over the Confederate Army that included advanced industrialization and economics, a larger population, a superior Navy, and an advanced transportation network. One of the major advantages that the North had over the South was their advanced …show more content…
This allowed the North to produce more military supplies at a much faster rate than the South. These manufacturers would help supply war supplies for the Union Army. The difference in industrial capacity allowed the North to sustain a lengthy war effort more effectively than the South (Glatthaar & Randall, 2003). The Union states also had an established banking system which provided a financial foundation for funding the war. After the Southern states succeeded the Union, the Northern states were able to raise money by taxation, selling bonds, loans, and increasing tariffs. The first income tax was established in 1861, which taxed incomes over six hundred dollars. This alone provided fifty-five million dollars in revenue for the war effort. Another important part of the North’s revenue was excise taxes. By taxing many different goods like tobacco, liquor, steel, and iron, the excise taxes raised hundreds of millions of dollars during the war (Majewski, 2005). The North also established a paper money system called …show more content…
Another fundamental advantage that the Northern states had over the Southern states was its larger population. The Union states had a population of nineteen million people, as opposed to the confederate states’ population of just nine million people. This significant difference in population allowed the Union Army to have a larger number of potential soldiers as well as a larger labor force to support the war effort. The Union Army’s ability to replenish its soldiers was a pivotal factor in their eventual victory over the South (Mobilization for War, 1999). The women and men that did not go off to war found many ways to help with the war effort. Women in the North and South helped to make uniforms for the troops while others provided medical care for the wounded. In the wealthier Northern states, women organized charitable organizations to raise money and send food to the troops. Skilled workers in the North were also a factor in maintaining and increasing their industrial resources. Also, the South’s dependence on slave labor limited its labor force and the ability to adjust to the demands of the war (Mobilization for War,