Civil War Essay Questions

1. How did economic and political factors help cause the south to lose the Civil War?
The South’s economic and political inferiority compared to the North, caused it to lose the American Civil War. The North had superior manpower and resources. The Northern Union had a population of 22,000,000 compared to the 9,000,000 of the South. Furthermore, of those nine million, 3,500,000 were slaves whom the South would not arm due to the fear of slave revolt. The greater population of the North allowed them to have a greater body from which to draw their armies (despite the fact that enlistment percentage was lower in the North than the South). In fact, in 164 the government faced such a critical manpower shortage that it began drafting men as young as 17 and as old as 50. In addition, the Union controlled most the resources of the United States. Northern monopolized industries allowed the Union to become fully self-sufficient and manufacture its own supplies. The Confederacy, on the other hand, had few industrial outputs and had to therefore rely on foreign imports. The transportation systems within the North also surpassed those of the South. There was two times more railroad track, more canals, and better roads in the North. The lack of efficient transportation within the South hampered the Confederate army’s ability to mobilize quickly and obtain supplies. The fewer shipyards of the South also hindered its ability to transport and receive goods.

Economic factors also worked against the South. The Confederacy worked off the doctrine of individual States’ Rights, which often times interfered with the greater good of the Confederacy. An example of this is Joseph Brown (Georgia) and Zebulon M. Vance’s (North Carolina) hoarding of supplies for their own troops. Other examples include Davis’ inability to impose martial law, suspend habeas corpus, and conscription. President Davis’s leadership was also somewhat lacking. Although he was an able administrator he rarely provided genuinely national leadership. Such economic and political factors lead to the inevitable defeat of the South.

2. What was the turning point for the Union army in the Civil War?
July of 1863 marked the turning point for the Union in the Civil war. Just days apart from one another, the Confederacy was defeated at Vicksburg and Gettysburg. The Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi was important because it controlled the Mississippi River. Without having control of it, the Confederacy was divided and unable to supply Texas and Arkansas. This diminished the war effort in the eastern United States. Vicksburg was the key to the success of the North, and when it was surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on July 4, 1863 the Confederacy began is plummet.

July 3, 1863 marked Robert E. Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg. It was the first major defeat suffered by General Lee. The battle was also the only time the Confederacy was able to gather such a number of troops and make an attack on the North. Gettysburg severely weakened Southern forces and destroyed their morale. The combination of the defeats at Gettysburg and Vicksburg set the stage for a declining war effort from the south and the future end at Appomattox Court House.

3. Explain why and how the North won the war. Include people, places, dates, resources, and technology.
The North’s superior manpower, resources, and leadership caused it to win the Civil War. The Northern Union had a population of 22,000,000 compared to the 9,000,000 of the South. Furthermore, of those nine million, 3,500,000 were slaves whom the South would not arm due to the fear of slave revolt. The greater population of the North allowed them to have a greater body from which to draw their armies (despite the fact that enlistment percentage was lower in the North than the South). In fact, in 164 the government faced such a critical manpower shortage that it began drafting men as young as 17 and as old as 50. In addition, the Union controlled most the resources of the United States. Northern monopolized industries allowed the Union to become fully self-sufficient and manufacture its own supplies. The Confederacy, on the other hand, had few industrial outputs and had to therefore rely on foreign imports. The transportation systems within the North also surpassed those of the South. There was two times more railroad track, more canals, and better roads in the North. The lack of efficient transportation within the South hampered the Confederate army’s ability to mobilize quickly and obtain supplies. The fewer shipyards of the South also hindered its ability to transport and receive goods.

President Lincoln led the Union resolutely, with his focus on the preservation of the Union. Although he went through several incompetent generals, he finally found success in Ulysses S. Grant. Both Lincoln and granted shared the idea of a war that involved the destruction of resources. Grant’s leadership and the leadership of other important generals resulted in winning many critical battles, specifically, the Confederacy’s defeat at Vicksburg and Gettysburg. The Confederate stronghold of Vicksburg, Mississippi was important because it controlled the Mississippi River. Without having control of it, the Confederacy was divided and unable to supply Texas and Arkansas. This diminished the war effort in the eastern United States. Vicksburg was the key to the success of the North, and when it was surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant on July 4, 1863 the Confederacy began is plummet. July 3, 1863 marked Robert E. Lee’s defeat at Gettysburg. It was the first major defeat suffered by General Lee. The battle was also the only time the Confederacy was able to gather such a number of troops and make an attack on the North. Gettysburg severely weakened Southern forces and destroyed their morale.

The South’s inferior resources and unstable central government caused it to suffer greatly in war. The North’s use of technology, resources, and political power made it a powerful force that led to Union victory in the Civil War.

4. Explain how Lincoln both succeeded and failed as President.
As a President, Abraham Lincoln was both successful and unsuccessful. He helped preserve the Union of the United States by defeating the Confederacy in the Civil War. During the war his strong leadership skills were evident as he was able to mobilize the Northern war effort. Although he had to deal with many incompetent generals, he quickly criticized and removed them, replacing them with better-suited candidates. His appointment of Ulysses S. Grant greatly changed the war and the strength of the Northern military force. Lincoln understood the importance of debilitating the enemy’s resources and thus changed the characteristics of warfare. No longer were the enemy soldiers the target, but also their resources and transportation systems. Lincoln’s leadership was also apparent in foreign affairs, which caused both Britain and France (who may have supported the Confederacy) to remain neutral in the war. Within his own political party he was also able to quell the factions and maintain power. Speeches, such as the Gettysburg address, encouraged the Union and promoted the war effort. His ability to rally public opinion greatly affected the morale and success of the North. Finally, Lincoln also abolished slavery through his Emancipation Proclamation (1863) and the Thirteenth Amendment (1865).

However, Lincoln was unsuccessful in many aspects of his presidency. Firstly, he abused the war powers of presidency, disregarding portions of the Constitution. He sent troops into battle without asking Congress for a declaration of war, increased the size of the regular army without receiving legislative authority to do so, and unilaterally proclaimed a naval blockade of the South. He also went to extraordinary lengths to repress all opposing factions within the Union. He ordered military arrests of civilian dissenters and suspended the right of habeas corpus. In 1862 he proclaimed that all dissidents would be subject to martial law. He overstepped all the bounds of the judicial and legislative branch, defying all efforts to curb his authority to suppress the opposition. In a way Lincoln had defied many of the fundamental principles of the United States.