Often the Confederate States of America are viewed as the colonists of the American Revolutionary War. Albeit small, the nation will fight for its independence and eventually defeat the seemingly indestructible nation. However, the proponents of the Southern states fail to keep in mind that the Union had advantages other than a strong military, including its vast transportation system and many factories.
The Southern States had more experienced soldiers. They were able to hunt and knew the terrain. However, the population of the Union would be a more dominant factor than the ability to use a gun. At most, the Confederate States army would amount to five million soldiers. The Union tripled that amount, adding up to a whopping twenty-two million. This would mean that a Confederate soldier would have to do three times the amount of work a Union soldier would have to do.
The Union almost tripled the amount of railroad tracks the Confederacy had. What took three days to ship a months supply of food would take an eight hour trip with the train. The Union were also available to many factories and many more resources. These factories would be used to create many guns and ammunition to the Northern army.
The Confederacy depended on King Cotton to provide all their money and foreign support. However, in 1861, European nations had a large surplus from the year before and had another trading partner, India. In addition, European countries did not want to be seen as a war partner to the Confederacy and become an enemy to the Union. As the Confederacy started to stop gaining money, it became weaker. With all these advantages for the Union and disadvantages to the Confederacy, it looks pretty obvious that the Confederate States of America would not be able to win the war.
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