The Advantages of the North During the American Civil War

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The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in United States history, with more soldiers killed and wounded than in any other war. (Dale 5.) Before the Civil War, there was conflict between the North and the South. In 1828, the Tariff of Abominations was ratified; the overall goal of this tariff was to protect industry in the Northern United States from having to compete with British products. This act increased the price of imported goods because imported goods were much cheaper than those in the United States. The Northerners embraced this tariff as they benefited economically from it. The Southerners detested the tariff because their economy relied on farming and trade. This lead to discourse between the North and the South and this is just one of the many examples of a cause of the American Civil War. The North had many advantages for the outcome of the Civil War because the North had better technology, naval power, and a better economy. The technology in the Civil War grew increasingly fast during this time period. Ships, guns, railroads, and many other things were invented or changed during this time period. The technology in the North differed vastly in some ways and slightly in others compared to the Confederacy. Firstly, the Naval ships became vastly different in construction during the Civil War. Ships were always made out of wood. This is one of the first times Naval ships were not only being made of metal but also going to battle. These metal ships were called ironclads “an armored naval vessel especially of the mid to late 19th century” (Merriam-Webster 450.) The first Union ironclad was called,” the USS Monitor.” This ended the fighting of wooden ships. Secondly, weapons were greatly advanced during this time period as well. During the Civil War rifling was invented. Prior to the Civil War, most combatants used smoothbore muskets that had a maximum

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