Introduction Flashcards
Context
After a Republican victory in the 1860 Presidential Election, the Civil War broke out in the spring of 1861 following the succession of several Southern states, including Texas and Virginia, who would go on to create the Confederacy under leadership of Jefferson Davis. Throughout the next 4 years, both the Union and the Confederacy both put up a strong fight, until eventually in 1865 the Confederacy had to accept defeat. Historians debate whether the Confederacy’s defeat was inevitable due to their disadvantages compared to the Union.
Factors
Some historians such as Frank Owsley argue that the issue of States rights was crucial in the sea peat of the Confederacy, others such as Confederate General Robert E Lee argue that it was because of the superiority of Union industrial capacity. David potter argues Confederate political errors were responsible for a Confederate defeat in the American Civil war, some historians argue that the Confederacy lost the war because of Union military superiority.
Line of argument
Finally, some historians argue that the South lost the war because of a loss of morale. This essay will argue that although the issue of states rights was important in explaining the Confederate loss during the American Civil War, the most important reason for their defeat was the superiority of Union industrial capacity as the Union were significantly better prepared for the war than the Confederacy due to their industrial capacity.
