Why Did the Union Win the Civil War

Union Victory
There were several factors that led to a Union victory in the Civil War. One of the most important ones was Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. This not only liberated all slaves in Confederate held states so long as they agreed to fight for the Union, it also made slavery one of the primary issues of the war from that point on. This was especially important for the South’s hope of foreign assistance from England. England had already banned slavery and so now that Lincoln had made slavery the main issue of the war through his Proclamation, England could not very well lend support to the South—because then it would essentially be lending support to slavery.
Another vital factor in the Union Victory was Gen. Grant’s military leadership in the war. Grant succeeded where other Union generals had failed. McClellan for instance had been a big bust for Lincoln, often failing to act or to engage the enemy because he did not want to risk the lives of his men in what he perceived to be an uneven contest (Foote, 1958). Grant did not hesitate in battle and achieved several victories that allowed the Union to gain control of the Mississippi and basically hedge in the Confederates.
Lincoln also managed to blockade the Southern ports and prevent the South from getting necessary support through trade. The South was unable to move its cotton, which meant its resources were limited. By the end of the Civil War, it was basically out of options and did not have the financial or material means of continuing the war.
Finally, Lincoln was able to destroy the morale of the South by using Sherman’s March to the Sea and the scorched earth policy to bring Total War to the South. The South was decimated by that point and the Union victory was secured. Sherman’s March to the Sea is still regarded as the nail in the coffin of the South during the Civil War.
References
Foote, S. (1958). The Civil War: Ft. Sumter to Perryville. NY: Random House.