1. Tale of the Tape: North vs. South

2. Population

3. Union: 22,000,000 including 4 million between the ideal fighting age of 15-40
Confederacy: 9,000,000 including 3.5 million slaves; only about 1,140,000 white men between the ages of 15-40

4. Presidential Leadership

5. Union: Abraham Lincoln had a talent for managing men, he acted with confidence and was determined to keep the Union together; used troops to put down draft riots and jailed those who opposed the war; prevented “border states” from seceding
Confederacy: Jefferson Davis did not have Lincoln’s energy and certainty; he had trouble getting 11 Confederate States to support the decisions of the central government; he failed to convince Great Britain or France, which needed southern cotton, to enter the war on the side of the Confederacy

6. Railroads

7. Extensive rail system capable of moving men and materials
Union:
Extensive rail system
capable of moving
men and materials
wherever they were
needed
Confederacy:
Had only 28% of the
country’s railroads

8. Farm Acreage

9. Union:
65% in the North
Confederacy:
35% in South

10. Iron and Steel Production

11. Union:
93% in North
Confederacy:
7% in South

12. Factories

13. Union: Confederacy: Had most of the countries skilled workers; turned
out all of the weapons,
ammunition, woolen
clothing, shoes, and other
supplies that it needed;
could produce 5,000 rifles
a day
Confederacy:
Few factories and skilled
workers; Confederate
soldiers often lacked shoes,
proper clothing, and
adequate supplies; never as
well equipped as the North;
factories could only make
300 rifles a day; dwindling
resources weakened the
people’s will to fight

14. Finances

15. Union: Confederacy: Strong banking system; controlled 70% of the
nation’s wealth; increased
tariff rates on imports and
used an income tax to
raise money
Confederacy:
Had only 30% of the nation’s
wealth; foreign bankers
refused to make large loans;
some states resisted
taxation by the Confederate
government; paper money
was nearly worthless by the
end of the war

16. Officers and Soldiers

17. Union: Confederacy: Few experienced officers;
city dwellers and factory
workers needed
considerable training to
become good soldiers
Confederacy:
Many of the countries
best officers joined the
Confederate Army;
Southerners were more
skilled with guns and
horses, and were used to
rugged outdoor life

18. Size of Navy

19. Union: Confederacy: The Union Navy was already established; it had
far more warships and
merchant vessels; set up a
blockade that virtually
stopped the South’s
foreign trade
Confederacy:
Few warships and
merchant ships; could not
break the Northern
blockade and get needed
supplies

20. Familiarity with the Land and Battlefields

21. Union: Confederacy: Often needed to become familiar with the land and
were unfamiliar with the
territory since most
battles were fought in the
South
Confederacy:
Knew the land very well;
The South was fighting to
protect its homeland

22. Battle Strategies Anaconda Plan King Cotton CICERO © 2010
Union General Winfield Scott suggested the Anaconda Plan to halt Southern trade. The plan would impose a blockade. This would eventually enable the North to control the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, the army would divide and isolate sections of the South and capture its vital cities and the capital in Richmond, Virginia. Under General Ulysses S. Grant, the North’s strategy kept pressure on General Robert E. Lee’s army and constantly weakened their numbers. The larger population of the North made this possible.
King Cotton
The Confederacy adopted a defensive strategy and attempted to secure alliances with more powerful countries such as Britain and France. To do that, the South needed to show it could win the war. As a result, the Confederate army attacked Union territory to draw Union troops away from the South and to impress potential allies. As the war continued, the Southern strategy became one of evading the Union army, prolonging the war, and inflicting casualties to demoralize the North.
CICERO © 2010

23. Weapons of the Civil War
canister shot
artillery projectile
rifled barrel
officer’s sword
Springfield rifle, (Union)
Although the Union used many types of rifles, this was the most common.
British Enfield rifle, (Confederacy)
Although the Confederacy used many types of rifles, this was the most common.
minié ball
CICERO © 2010

24. The Underground Railroad
The Underground Railroad was a large network of people who helped fugitive slaves escape to the North and to Canada.
It is estimated that up to 100,000 slaves escaped the South with the help of “conductors”, or guides. The most famous of these guides was Harriet Tubman.
Slaves escaping North would use a series of “stations”, or safe houses to rest in along the route.
The paths that slaves traveled towards the North were known as “tracks”.
While slavery was outlawed in the North, escaping slaves were not truly free until they reached Canada.
Harriet Tubman
Lawn Jockeys were used to mark stations on the underground railroad.
This quilt shows the track pattern which told escaped slaves that this was a “station”, or safe place.