The Confederate War Effort 'Why were the Confederate states able to sustain their war effort until the end of 1862?'

From the onset of war, the Union had the most obvious advantages, being resources, manpower, food, and industry, meaning that the could not only have a large army, but that they could feed and equip it as well. However, often not as well noted are the Confederates numerous other advantages to their favor. First of all, the Confederate only needed to defend their own land. This meant many things, such as that they were familiar …

…of cash crops, which were unable to be traded for food or weapons due to the naval blockade. This meant that while the Confederates were able to keep up the war effort for a while, they started to lose later on. In the end, a lack of emphasis on manufacturing and commercial interest as well as many Union advantages brought in at the beginning of 1863 surrendered the South's ability to function independently to the North.