Compare And Contrast The North And South In The Civil War

The North and the South were like two completely different worlds before the Civil War. One was urban and one was rural. One had many railroads and factories and one was King Cotton. Factories, railroads, and cotton played an important role in the shaping of the Civil War.

The North dominated the South when it came to factories. Because of more skilled immigrant populations in the North, they had more factories. 86% of America’s factories were in the North. During the Civil War these factories were converted into gun and ammunition producing factories, which was a big advantage. The South did not have a constant supply of weapons, which was a huge disadvantage in the Civil War.

Railroads were also not plentiful in the South. Because of the booming production of steel and more skilled workers, the North had more railroads. 72% of American railroads were in the North. These railroads provided transportation of goods to supply the states. The South could not easily and quickly move food, weapons, and men because the railroads that were present were small and not interconnected.

The South did have one advantage; cotton.

Cotton was one of the biggest cash crops in the 1800s for the South. In fact, they produced 99.9% of all the cotton in America. It was an important export and the main source of income in the South. Southern farmers concentrated on producing cotton and didn’t produce enough food to feed the southern population. On the other hand, the North had a plentiful supply of food crops and produced 72%.

Three key differences between the North and the South before the Civil War were factories, railroads, and cotton. The North had more factories and railroads and the South had more cotton. Prior to the war, the North had many advantages over the South. These pre-war advantages played a role in the eventual outcome of the Civil

War.