All profits went to slave owners so the South "could feed itself, but do little else" (29). The South turned a blind eye to the innovations of the industrial revolution because of selfishness. A few wealthy landowners held control of large portions of the local economy. The South was supported by a working population in the field. It had to purchase most manufactured goods from the North. The effects of the war on the South were indescribable and ironic, according to Davidson, because the "demands of war fundamentally transformed the southern economy, society and government" (Davidson 432). The failing economy and worsening conditions drove many slaves to move from the South. Supplies of "labor, already inadequate, shrank further as men were called into military service" (Olegario). Once things started going downhill, it was difficult to regain strength. While the Southern army was losing energy, the Northern army was gaining energy. They did not have to problems of supply shortages. Once the Union began to figure out how to fight the war, things begin to work in their favor. After the Battle of Bull Run, they fought more forcefully. They used blockades on southern ports to hinder even more a dilapidating flow of supplies. In addition, they took command of the Mississippi River. Preventing European nations from acknowledging the Confederacy was another blow. To avoid failure, the Confederates realized they must centralize their

Because they were short on labor and natural resources, they felt the agony of losing much quicker than the North. Discontent was another aspect of the war that was unforeseeable and unpreventable considering the circumstances. The emotional toll of the war spread to all areas of the south, not just soldiers and, as a result, many deserted. Once the South began to crumble from the inside, it would never be able to repair itself to its former strength.
The North maintained an advantage over the South because of their economic superiority. The economy drives the United States even today. No form of government can exist without some type of economy that keeps people working and consuming. The South had no opportunity to win the Civil War once it became known that the North would not take hits economically. The Union's economy was already robust before the war. On the other hand, the South's economy was sluggish to begin with. It had no opportunity to even attempt to grow in the presence of a war. As we see with our own sluggish economy, it is difficult to recover from an economic blow without a war raging within our borders. Another significant reason why the Union emerged victorious was the military strategy of General Grant, who captured Vicksburg. While the Battle of Gettysburg was a loss for the North, the North continued to gain strength while the South was continuing to lose strength and energy. General Lee put forth a great effort but Confederate hope, along with supplies and moral, was fading. Grant mercilessly raided the South. It would not be long before Confederate congressional elections encouraged opposition. It took over a year but Lee finally surrendered.

Works Cited

Norton, Mary Beth, ed. A People and a Nation: Third Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin

Company. 1990. Print.

Rowena Olegario. "War and the Economy (1754-1783)." American Eras. Gale Research,

Reproduced in History Resource Center. Site Accessed July 29, 2010.

Gale Resource Database. Web.

Sutherland, Jonathon. The Civil War. New Jersey: Chartwell Books. 2007. Print.