Fifth Grade
Worksheets
North vs. South: Strengths and Weaknesses
When the Civil War started, both sides thought that the war would be over soon. Both sides thought that they would win easily. They also thought they were fighting the war for the right reasons. The Union planned an aggressive attack against the South. The North wanted to go to war to save the Union. At first, ending slavery was not a goal of the war.
People in the South felt they were fighting to save their way of life. They felt that they were fighting to gain their freedom. They compared the war to the Revolutionary War.
Both sides had strengths and weaknesses. The South had one big advantage. Soldiers knew the forests well. They knew the best places to hide. It is easier to defend land that a person knows well. The trees also helped to protect Southern soldiers when the Union army invaded.
Another advantage the South had was that many men had grown up around guns and horses. They knew how to hunt and live off the land. This helped them adjust to being soldiers. They were comfortable firing guns and knew how to handle them.
Many of the best military leaders were in the South. During the war Lincoln had trouble finding generals that could match the skill that those in the South had. Robert E. Lee had a tough time deciding which side to fight for. Lincoln asked him to command the Union army. Lee was from Virginia. When Virginia seceded, he chose his home state over the Union. He became the commander of the Confederate army in the South.
