Why Did the North Win the Civil War?

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer introduces, discusses and analyzes the topic of the Civil War in American history. Specifically, the paper contains an analysis of James M. McPherson's "Ordeal by Fire: The Civil War and Reconstruction" and "Why the North Won the Civil War" by David Herbert Donald. The writer discusses why the North won the Civil War. The writer maintains that the North won the Civil War for a variety of reasons, and not all of them have to do with manpower and might. The writer concludes that the North won even though the South enjoyed several advantages, because the North, in the end, had superior forces and most of all, superior materials and more industry to create more weapons than the South had, and so, they simply outlasted the Southerners and their reserves.

From the Paper:

"The geography of the South was on their side, too. Mountain ranges in the east helped repel invasion, and the major valleys that supported invasion faced away from Richmond, the capital of the South and the target for invasion and destruction. Instead, the major attack route, the Shenandoah Valley, ran toward Washington DC, the logical Southern target for destruction. Thus, the South owned several key advantages that could have led to victory, but of course, did not.
"In conclusion, the North won the Civil War for a variety of reasons, including manpower, industry, and leadership. The South had several advantages. Some they capitalized on and some did not work out for them, as history clearly indicates."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Donald, D.H. Why the North won the Civil War.
• McPherson, J.M. (2001). Ordeal by fire: The Civil War and reconstruction. New York: McGraw-Hill.

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