What are the differences between the Northern states and the Southern states in the 1860s? The North grew crops such as corn and wheat. Those crops are foods so they don’t have to trade with the South to eat. The South grows tobacco and cotton as their main crops. Tobacco is a “pleasure” crop and cotton is a clothing crop. Neither can be eaten so they would have to trade mostly out of the South to get that food. The South also had fewer railroads, so they can only trade by train in certain places. The North has more railroads and more places where the railroads connect so they can get to more of a variety of places by railroad and could trade more efficiently than the South.

— Andrew Hansted

The opinions on slavery were split right down the middle of the nation. The North opposed slavery but the South depended on slavery. The Southerners’ way of living was slavery. Having slaves kept the economy going, so you can imagine how they were feeling when the idea of abolishing slavery began to get popular. In 1861, the argument of slavery divided the nation. The South was now called the Confederate States of America. More people sided with the North and when war broke out in Kansas, the numbers showed the North was fighting  for a united nation and against Southern philosophy.

— Rylee Collier

The Civil War was a conflict between the North and the South about whether slaves should be allowed. The North strongly believed slavery was wrong while the South believed slaves were a way of life. The Civil War was one of the most destructive of all American wars. In order for the South to keep its way of life and its separated country of the Confederate States of America, all it had to do was stop the Northerners from invading the South. At the beginning of the war slaves weren’t allowed to fight on either side because they believed it was a white man’s war. Only until the end of the war were blacks allowed to fight in what they believed in.

— Sydnee Linnane

The cannon shells bursting over Fort Sumter ended months of confusion. The nation was at war. The time had come to choose sides. For most whites in the South, the choice was clear. Early in 1861, representatives from six of the seven states had seceded from the Union and met to form a new nation called the Confederate States of America. Southerners believed that just as the states had once voluntarily joined the Union, they voluntarily could leave it now. The men who fought for the Confederacy were proud defenders of “Southern rights” and “Southern independence.”

— Jessica Dominguez

One major event in the Civil War was the Battle of Bull Run. Unsuspecting Union troops rushed toward Manassas, a small town near Richmond, Va., and were completely unaware of the ambush that awaited them. Confederate troops were stationed at the small town after hearing of the attack in a coded note from Rose Greenhow, a supporter of the South that happened to reside in the North when she heard of the information. The note, smuggled in the curls of a young girl, warned the South to be prepared for the attack and caused a large loss for the Union.

— Oliva Barrett

Something significant about the Civil War was that the South would not let the slaves go. Although the slaves could outnumber the North, the South figured that the slaves obviously would turn against their masters or owners when given a weapon. This would give the North a very easy battle victory. The South started with an advantage through having some spies give them information on how and where the North would attack. This in my eyes is an extremely significant occurrence in the Civil War.

— Ian Miller

The North and the South each had their own unique method for battling. The North was much, much larger in population than the South, which was a major advantage. Along with not only the amount of people, the North also was more technologically advanced and richer than the South. Although the North seemed to have a major advantage, one of its worst weaknesses was military leadership. The South also had its strengths, not in size or wealth, but in military defense. The Northerners had to get through many geographic obstacles to get to the South. The Northerners also faced a tough challenge of subduing people who believed they were defending their liberty and their homes. The South could win just by defending their territory. The South had one big disadvantage — if the Union could control the Mississippi River — it could split the Confederacy in two.

— Amanda Murphy

The Civil War was started by many conflicts. Southern states seceding from the United States was over the pressing issue of abolishing slavery. What finally turned the two nations to arms was the shelling of Fort Sumter. This act of war was committed by the Southern army on a Northern fort in South Carolina. The Northern army consisted of New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Vermont, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The Southern army consisted of Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas.

— Byron Rice