Compare And Contrast The Civil War And South's Industrial Economy

The economy is of utmost importance when going into War - some may say it is the deciding factor on whether you will triumph or prevail, which was the case during the Civil War. During the Civil War, the Union and the Confederacy were battling against each other. However, both of these sides had very different economies, and the North’s industrial economy versus the South’s agricultural economy was one of the main reasons the North won the Civil War. The North’s economy was very advanced, and that meant that weapons, transportation, food for soldiers, and every other factor that they might have needed to win the war was easily accessible to them, and it was also easily re-stockable. On the other hand, the South had a very agricultural-based

The North was much better prepared for the Civil War, seeing that they were much more advanced than the South, and were much more strongly equipped with weapons and transportation as well. According to the article “Industry and Economy during the Civil War” by the National Parks Service, “ . . . The North, by contrast, was well on its way toward a commercial and manufacturing economy, which would directly impact its war-making ability.” Clearly, The North had an advantage in manufacturing that would allow them to replenish their supplies more easily and transport supplies and troops more effectively than the South. Additionally, “ . . . The North produced 3,200 firearms to every 100 produced in the South.” The Union produced weapons at thirty times the rate as the Confederacy, giving them a clear advantage, and enabling their victory in the Civil War, since they were much better prepared than the South. Moreover, an excerpt from an article from American Battlefield Trust reveals that the Union General Ulysses S. Grant had ordered General

. . The fertile soil and warm climate of the South made it ideal for large-scale farms to grow crops like tobacco and cotton.” (American Battlefield Trust). The fertile land in the southern states was the main reason for the first British settlers, back in 1607, to settle there. Since then, the South relied on agriculture to grow their economy and based their lifestyle on it. In 1619, shortly after the first settlers found success in planting crops, the first slaves were imported from West Africa; the expansion of slavery became a key feature of the southern lifestyle. However, the article goes on to say that “ . . . [b]ecause agriculture was so profitable, few Southerners saw a need for industrial development. Eighty percent of the labor force worked on a farm or plantation.” The South made money off of agriculture, and they never thought they would need to switch to an industrial-based economy. However, this proved to be the cause of their downfall during the Civil War, because they did not have the amount of resources that the North did, and they could not make or replenish their resources nearly as fast either. When the Industrial Revolution reached the United States during the early 19th century, the North modernized, while the South remained stagnant. American Battlefield Trust goes on to