Great Rebellion: The American Civil War & Its Causes - Essay Sample

Introduction

The Great Rebellion or the American civil war was a regional dispute in the United States fought between the early 1860s to mid-1860s. The civil war involved both the northern and the southern United States. The primary cause of this war was the continued controversy behind the enslavement of black people in the region. The first hostilities were witnessed in South Carolina when a secessionist (south United States) soldiers attacked Fort Summer a few moments after Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the United States president (Adams 2020). The states loyal to the Union in the north continued to proclaim their full support of the constitution of the land. The southern states, secessionists, advocated for a different course and continued to advocate for slavery to be upheld as well as state rights.

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Strengths and Weaknesses of the North During the Civil War

During the American Civil War, the warring parties, the northern and the southern United States enjoyed a couple of advantages over their rivals. Most of these strengths over the others were often necessitated by the geographical position of the states or regions. Despite enjoying multiple strengths, these conflicting states also had to endure circumstances that were not too enabling. The rivals most utilized these disadvantages in battles. The primary advantage of the loyal Union, the northern United States, was its statistical and economic power.

Strengths

To start with arguably the most crucial strength which the north had over the south, the demographic and economic power of the northerners were overwhelming. Compared to their southern rivals, the northern states enjoyed a considerably larger population. This advantage was even boosted by the fact that most of the people of the southern states were enslaved (Swanson and Verdugo 309). With a vast number of their energetic men in slavery, the south was crippled and did not stand a chance over their rivals.

In matters of industrial capacity, the north enjoyed the most advanced manufacturing plants and transportation systems. Almost all of the country's manufacturing and processing factories were located in the north as well as a more advanced railway network (Longstreet 2020). Complete control of the production, processing as well as better transportation networks allowed the northern states to produce and transport every resource required in the war. The manufacturing plants also allowed the northerners to create all the weapons at the expense of their rivals. Since the southern states were incapable of manufacturing arms and other war materials, its soldiers were always ill-equipped as compared to the northern forces.

Another aspect that allowed the northern states to be more advantaged than their southern rivals is the navy. The northern United States had a navy that proved to be critical in the war (Longstreet 2020). The navy was often used to blockade the South from surprise attacks. The navy also allowed the northerners to plan and layout their fighting strategies without fear of surprise attacks. The southerners were affected mainly by the navy since they had no means of fighting in deep waters. The southern states also could not defend their populations whenever attacks came from the sea.

The southern state's lack of water vessels badly affected their economy since they relied on the ships from the north. With a bigger and more robust economy, the northern United States enjoyed a better role in the international community. The northern region was fully recognized by almost every European country but the southern states were not. Lack of recognition abroad caused a lot of diplomatic pressure on the South, with the northern region enjoying very little pressure.

Weaknesses

Despite enjoying all these strengths, the northern United States also had to face several disadvantages/weaknesses over the southerners. The northerners wanted to make the south part of the loyal Union and this defined their biggest weakness or challenge. Their strategic tasks were harder than those of the southern states. This is because the northern forces had to invade the southern region, fight and conquer. The southern forces were only tasked to invade and fight without necessarily having to capture/overcome the territory.

Another weakness that crippled the Union was lack of morale. The southerners were highly motivated to fight because they were trying to maintain their culture. On the other hand, the north was struggling to keep a union.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the South During the Civil War

Despite the south trailing behind their northern rivals in almost every way possible, they also enjoyed several advantages over the northerners. Although all the transportation networks were controlled from the north region, the southern states were capable of the food required by their populations (McPherson 2016). The produced foods were enough to sustain the masses for an extended period and wait for the next season. Getting the food to the soldiers in different places was always challenging.

The southern states enjoyed a vast pool of trained officers and soldiers who were prepared for war. This was because the majority of the country's' military colleges were situated in the south (Longstreet 2020). These military schools provided a reliable source of skilled fighters for the war, with their military training massively boosting their odds in the battle. With the northern force full of untrained and inexperienced soldiers, the southern troops used their advantage to crush them.

Another advantage enjoyed by the southerners was geographical. This was arguably their most definite advantage over the northern states. Since the states of the north were determined to invade and conquer, the southerners often found themselves fighting in their land. The understanding of the landscape allowed the southern forces to crash their northern rivals in case of an invasion. The southern forces were fighting a defensive battle in their own region which allowed them to employ most of their popular tactics. The soldiers were familiar with the weather as well as the landscape of their territory.

With the majority of manufacturing and processing plants in the north, the southern states found themselves with a risky-low supply of arms. The southern states proved their resourcefulness later on in the war when they established foundries and armories in a number of the southern states. They also constructed massive gunpowder mills as well as melting down hundreds of thousands of plantation and church bells to develop battle cannons (Longstreet 2020). With a steady supply of arms and other war necessities from their newly constructed mills and armories, the south started to stand a chance over the north.

The north created another advantage of the south. The northern states had much more and complex goals to accomplish which hardened their strategy tasks as a result. The northern United States (Union) had to not only invade the south but also conquer and occupy. The Union had to terminate the will to resist and the capacity of the southern forces. With so many objectives on the table, laying out effective strategies in the war was always challenging. The southern forces were only tasked with defending their territory from the northern invaders which eased their work. Their military skills were effectively used to stop the Union troops in the south.

Weaknesses

Among the two conflicting regions, the southerners suffered the most since they were faced with more weaknesses over the north. Economically, the southern states were less advantaged than the Union. All the transportation systems and manufacturing plants were controlled by the northerners, which adversely affect the economy in the south. With the north blocking the sea with their navy, the south's lack of one greatly incapacitated them. They had nothing to defend their area from the sea and the Union forces took advantage of this to cripple their economy.

Demographically, the southern states were far less in numbers as compared to the north (Swanson and Verdugo 309). The northern population was double that of the south and the states of the north were also many as compared to those allied to the southern region.

Conclusion

The Civil War in America involved the northern and southern United States. The war took place in the early 1860s with the first hostilities recorded in April 1961. During the war, the Union enjoyed far more advantages than the southern forces. The southern economy was less superior and their population was also trailing among other aspects. The northerners also enjoyed a steady supply of arms from their manufacturing firms with the south only having a small number of trained soldiers.

Works Cited

Adams, Ephraim Douglass. Great Britain and the American Civil War. Good Press, 2020.

Longstreet, James. From Manassas to Appomattox: Memoirs of the Civil War in America. Indiana University Press, 2020.

McPherson, James. Struggle for a Vast Future: The American Civil War. Bloomsbury Publishing, 2016.

Swanson, David A., and Richard Verdugo. "The Civil War's Demographic Impact on White Males in Mississippi." Volume 62 July 2017 Number 3 62.3 (2017): 309.