On paper, the Union outweighed the Confederacy in almost every way. Nearly 21 million people lived in 23 Northern states. The South claimed just 9 million people — including 3.5 million slaves — in 11 CONFEDERATE STATES. Despite the North's greater population, however, the South had an army almost equal in size during the first year of the war.
The North had an enormous industrial advantage as well. At the beginning of the war, the Confederacy had only 1/9 the industrial capacity of the Union. But that statistic was misleading. In 1860, the North manufactured 97 percent of the country's firearms, 96 percent of its railroad locomotives, 94 percent of its cloth, 93 percent of its pig iron, and over 90 percent of its boots and shoes. The North had twice the density of railroads per square mile. There was not even one rifleworks in the entire South.
All of the principal ingredients of GUNPOWDER were imported. Since the North controlled the navy, the seas were in the hands of the Union. A blockade could suffocate the South. Still, the Confederacy was not without resources and willpower.
The South could produce all the food it needed, though transporting it to soldiers and civilians was a major problem. The South also had a great nucleus of TRAINED OFFICERS. Seven of the eight military colleges in the country were in the South.
The South also proved to be very resourceful. By the end of the war, it had established armories and foundries in several states. They built huge gunpowder mills and melted down thousands of church and plantation bells for bronze to build cannon.
The South's greatest strength lay in the fact that it was fighting on the defensive in its own territory. Familiar with the landscape, Southerners could harass Northern invaders.
North vs. South: Analyzing the Strengths and Weaknesses in the Civil War
Northern Strengths
Southern Strengths
Northern Weaknesses
Southern Weaknesses
Northern Strengths:
1. Greater population and industrial capacity
2. Control of the navy and ability to blockade the South
3. Access to resources and supplies
4. Superior infrastructure, including railroads
Southern Strengths:
1. Fighting on their own territory
2. Experienced and trained military officers
3. Resourcefulness in establishing armories and manufacturing supplies
4. Determination and willpower to fight for their cause
Northern Weaknesses:
1. Initial lack of trained officers and military leadership
2. Need to transport food and supplies to soldiers and civilians
3. Risk of overextension due to larger territory
4. Public opinion and morale issues
Southern Weaknesses:
1. Smaller population and industrial capacity
2. Reliance on imported resources, including gunpowder
3. Vulnerability to naval blockade by the Union
4. Limited infrastructure and lack of rifleworks