North or South, Civil War Essay

â€Å"At any time, the South can raise, equip, and maintain in the field, a larger army than any Power of the earth can send against her, and an army of soldiers men brought up on horseback, with guns in their hands. † (from Senator James Henry Hammond’s â€Å"Cotton is King,† Document Library, March 4, 1858) The Confederates have their advantages and weaknesses in their economy, diplomacy, and military and so do the Union. However, the Confederacy stood above the Union with their advantages of the southern states. They were determined to protect their laws to maintain the efficiency of their country after secession from the Union. The Confederacy was better equipped and more prepared to win the Civil War. Although the Union had some advantages in their economy, the Confederacy was better equipped economically. In their economy, the southern states had better agricultural production for their values of farmland ranging from about zero dollars up to four hundred and fifty millions of dollars; and the abundance of crops such as temp, rice, cane sugar, and tobacco in Virginia, South Carolina, Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, and Missouri. The values of the southern farmland could be used so it can be sold to other people or countries when they needed more money for the expenses of the war. Also, the abundance of crops can be sold for money which could be used to help out the Confederacy or it can be used as a resource for soldiers during the war. The southern states were doing well economically because of their cotton production of five to forty-five bales of cotton per square miles. Interactive Map for Cotton Production) Since their farmland had great value it meant that they have a great amount of land for the land to be worth a lot which allows their production of cotton to expand even more. The production of cotton helps them earn profits which can be used for the war and cotton can be used to make clothing for soldiers. The crops could be used as food for the soldiers who are fighting in the war because it can provide them a full stomach, a happy mind, and lots of energy so that they would be more concentrated on protecting their country. The agricultural production of the Confederacy would enable them to keep their soldiers content so that they would focus more about fighting and a hopeful idea that they actually can win with all the food and money they can get. They are prepared to fight the Union. The Confederacy’s diplomacy with different countries and people allowed them to be one step closer to winning the Civil War. The South is prepared to stop their cotton production which can bring them a lot of profits which can be used to be spent on war expenses. Even if they stop their cotton production and to start planting again, they would still be able to earn huge amounts of profits from experience. (Speech by Sen. James Henry Hammond) The Confederacy would have enough profits from the years of cotton production to provide them with the money needed for the war and their losses. The alliance between the Confederacy and Great Britain gives them an advantage which the Union doesn’t have. Speech by Sen. James Henry Hammond) Great Britain relied on the Confederacy’s production of cotton for their country’s economy to work properly, but the Union wants to stop the production of cotton which creates an alliance between Britain and the South. As long as the Union goes into war with the Confederates, Great Britain would bring their entire army over to help the Confederacy win the war against the Union. They were prepared to be allied at any moment to protect the flow of their economy which the North doesn’t have since most of the other countries also relied on South’s cotton production. Confederacy’s alliances with other countries will make them more prepared to win the war against the Union as they already are. In the military proportion, Confederacy had more experienced and intelligent generals and commanders than the Union even if they had more commanders. Many of the generals attended the U. S. Military academy at West Point. As an average Southern generals who attended West Point were mostly ranked higher than the Northern commanders. Southern commanders like P. G. T. Beauregard of Louisiana graduated with a rank of the third highest in 1838 and Robert E. Lee of Virginia who graduated with the second highest rank during 1829 unlike Don Carlos Buell of Ohio graduated with the rank of 32 who was a Northern commander. (Meet the Commanders) The Confederate commanders being able to graduate with high ranks means that they are more knowledgeable than the Union commanders. Since they graduated at the top of their class they know from knowledge about what are the right things to do during the war and they should be able to figure out advantages to increase their chances at winning. The Confederates also had commanders who were more experience with wars because of their experience of fighting in previous wars. A Southern commander, John B. Magrudger had military experience in the Second Seminole War and the Mexican War while Northerner Nathaniel P. Banks of Massachusetts had no previous military experience. Meet the Commanders) The Confederacy having more commanders who had more military experience from previous wars allows them to know some possible advantages and weaknesses that they might have for their army and the enemies since it might have happen before. Experience and education is what makes you more prepared for war with strategies and ideas being created. Overall, the Confederacy has a huge advantage over the Union as that they are more prepared to win the Civil War against the Union. The profits from their agricultural production of their economy leaves them one less thing to be worried about to be prepared for the war. The production of cotton brought the alliance of foreign countries with the Confederacy because of their reliance on the cotton production for profits that keeps their economy going and creates a better diplomacy. The more experience that the commanders received from previous wars and the higher ranking they had in military school increases the knowledge for preparations for the war so that you can increase the chances of winning against the Union. The Confederacy were prepared to win against the Union in the Civil War with all their preparations.