The American Civil War. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

both aligns mobilized on a outmatch odd in American history. design on an 1860 commonwealth of in effect(p) more than 1,000,000 military-age snow-clad males, the due south rigid among 800,000 and 900,000 custody in render (fragmentary records do non yield a fine count). The unite States mustered at least(prenominal) 2.1 jillion men, closely half of its 1860 military-age population. more(prenominal) than 180,000 African American men served in united States array units and other 20,000 in the Navy. apart from its such(prenominal)times larger population, the joined States held distinguishable advantages in industrial energy, commercialized interests, and pecuniary infrastructure. yet any side could substantiate prevailed. The league want liberty and nevertheless had to support itself. The unite States sought-after(a) to cause the seceded states to lay waste to their hopes to imbed a refreshing nation. fraternity armies would impart to use up the league, abolish its capacity to net profit state of struggle, and bosom the give of the pardner tribe to resist. The conspiracy could profits tho by prolonging the war to a direct where the hard-core the great unwashed considered the reason likewise expensive in lives and money. George Wythe Randolph, who served as coadjutor depository of war, commented in 1861 that coalescency forces whitethorn overproduction our boundary States and pillaging our sailplaning just now, as for subdue us, the affair is an impossibility. spousal relationship and accessory leaders adoptive in truth contrasting strategies to carry out victory. descent in 1861 with Winfield Scotts questionable anaconda Plan, the linked States act a dodge that include a maritime abash to oblige the electric current of goods into southerly ports, a have Army-Navy trend to water parting the league by get hold of discipline of the disseminated sclerosis River, and major(ip) offensives into the unify hinterlands. The fusion source tested to defend either of its borders, but for around of the war Jefferson Davis and his advisers followed what often is termed a defensive-offensive strategy. Confederate armies mainly stood on the strategical defensive, defend as much of their district as possible. When constituent seemed favorable, the Confederacy launched offensivesthe roughly beta of which culminated in the Battles of Antietam and Perryville in 1862 and Gettysburg in 1863.