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Manifest Destiny

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Submitted By fosterme
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HST 205-01 Stabler
Meaghan Foster
April 20th 2009

The Confederacy entered the Civil War with several disadvantages which resulted in the Union predicted a short and easily combated war. Yet despite all their shortcomings the South shocked everyone by turning the Civil War into a four year skirmish resulting in hundreds of thousands of deaths and the destruction of much of the country. Though the Confederacy did hold off the Union for a longer period of time then expected their lack of industry, the confederate army’s tendency to only fight on the offensive combined with the failure of the Confederacy to be recognized as a nation by a foreign power led to the South’s demise. The economies of the North and the South differed drastically during the antebellum period leading up to secession. The South came to be known as a mostly agrarian society based mostly on the work of the farm and plantation. The North became a champion of industrialization, holding most of factories and the work force to man those factories. During the Civil War creation of new supplies became a constant need for both sides of the conflict. The Union found advantage in that the Northern factories produced the majority of the ammunition. Not only did the Union army have the majority of the fire power they also possessed access to more ways of transportation through railroads, ships and wagons. Being able to transport supplies and soldiers over great distances gave the North great advantage. The Confederacy who lacked the same level of industry could not supply their troops and is part of the reason the South found defeat. The South held the benefit, at least at the beginning of the war, of more experienced military personnel. Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate forces had been originally beckoned by Lincoln to command the Union army. Lee, a Virginian,

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