Top Ten Disadvantages of the South During the Civil War

Top Ten Disadvantages of the South During the Civil War

#8... The Anaconda Plan

The Anaconda Plan also known as the Union Blockade was located along the Atlantic Coast of the South and prevented the South from trading with other countries. The confederates depended on foreign trade to supply their needs for war.

#9... Limited Naval Forces

This is a map of the Anaconda Plan

#1 ... SMALL POPULATION !!!!!

On the Atlantic coast there were few naval forces which was a disadvantage because the Union had Naval Forces that could protect the North however, the south suffered from a blockade due to the lack of forces around the water.

#7 ... Slaves Rebelling

#2... Transportation issues

The Confederates worried about its slave population which posed a threat of rebellion and assistance to the Northern cause. For instance, some famous African Americans that rebelled against slavery were Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Nat Turner and Sojourner Truth. These people spoke out for their rights.

The Confederates were outnumbered by a ratio of 22 million: 9 million. More than one-third of the population was enslaved, therefore they had fewer people who could become soldiers. They put up a good war but due to the small population, lack of weapons, factories, and manpower the Union came out on top.

#10 .... NO FOREIGN AID

The Confederates lacked railroad mileage to move troops and vital supplies needed for war. This caused a major disadvantage for the South because they could not mobilize soldiers and weapons as well as the North which caused a setback for winning the war.

This graph displays not only the small population but all the disadvantages faced by the Confederates.

After seeing the Battle of Antietam no foreign nation wanted any part in The Civil War. European Nations viewed America as "Morally Inferior" because South permitted slavery and they did not want a reputation for supporting slavery.

#5... Weakened Economy

During the time of the Civil War, the South's economy became weak because they depended on slaves, agriculture, and cotton to produce revenue. Cotton was the number one product that drove the South's economy so when the Anaconda Plan was enacted it made a significant reduction in the export of cotton. Therefore, with no incoming money and no support from other nations, the South's economy faltered.

Our Sources

Thanks for watching the presentation of Jazz Thorpe and Amber Hughes :)

• Princeton University. "Civil War". Princeton.edu. Web. 04 Dec 2013.
• American Civil War. "Civil War Timeline". Web. 03 Dec 2013.
• United States History. "The Disadvantages of the Civil War". Web. 03 Dec 2013.
• Images. "Civil War: Trust". www.museumintrust.com. Web. 04 Dec 2013
• Civil War. "Images of U.S. History". www.writework.com. Web. 03 Dec 2013
• Youtube. "Battle of Gettysburg Clip". Web. 05 Dec 2013
• Youtube. "Battle of Antietam: Clip from Glory". Web. 05 Dec 2013
• Civil War Curiosities: Strange Stories, Oddities, Events, and Coincidences. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press, 1964. 06 Dec 2013.
• Melgar, DJ. "Disadvantages of the South During the Civil War". Quizlet.com. Web.05 Dec 2013

#6... Battle of Gettysburg

This three day battle was the bloodiest battle of the Civil War. The battle involved the largest number of casualties of the entire war and is described as the war's turning point. 53,000 casualties died. This was a disadvantage to the south because one-third of their soldiers was gone. The Confederates will never again be so close to victory nor on northern soil.

#4 ... Shortages on Supplies

This is a short clip of one day of the Battle of Gettysburg.

The ratings go from 10 being the least important to 1 being the most important

Southerners were at a disadvantage because it was harder for them to industrialize due to them being highly dependent on agriculture and slavery. Also, northern states had more factories to produce a mass amount of weapons, whereas the South had fewer factories, which caused them to have fewer weapons than the North. The South also lacked food.

#3 Emancipation Proclamation

Honorable mention goes to ....... High Tarrifs

On January 1,1863, The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President A. Lincoln freeing all the slaves in those territories still in rebellion against the Union. This was a major disadvantage for the Confederates because they had no support from President Abe and lost labor due to freeing some slaves.

Due to the Union Blockade, the Southern states had to cut off custom duties. This is a disadvantage to the Confederates because there was a significant raise in taxes and 10% tax on farm produce. The biggest source of revenue printed large amounts of paper money, which caused "runaway inflation".