What advantages and disadvantages did the north and the south each have at the beginning of the civil war

North Advantages:
- Had almost 4 times as many free citizens.
- Had many people to grow food and work in factories making supplies.
- Had more than 70% of the nations rail lines.
- Had a strong navy and a large fleet of private ship trading.

South Advantages:
- Defending their homeland gave them a strong reason to fight.
- Had skills that made them good soldiers.
- Many of the best officers in the US were from the south.

North Disadvantages:
- Soldiers had to conquer a huge area to bring the South back into the union.
- Invaded unfamiliar lands.

South Disadvantages:
- Had few factories to produce weapons, railroad tracks, and other supplies.
- Had few railroads to move troops and vital supplies.
- Small population, about 9 million lived in the Confederacy and 22 million in the union.
- More than 1/3 of the population was enslaved, therefore they had fewer people that could be soldiers.