How real was the North's industrial advantage in 1860?

favedave

Corporal
Joined
Aug 5, 2011
Location
Saint Joseph, MO
The North's industrial advantage going into the Civil War is cited so often by historians it is literally a mantra. But did the Northern States really have an insurmountable lead in the industries needed to fight the coming Civil War?

I've often come across statements like "The North had five times as many iron works as the the South." I've never seen whether that's five iron works employing fewer than 25 people scattered throughout the Northern states, to one iron works in Richmond, employing 75 people. Or five thousand major iron and steel works employing hundreds of workers, exploring the latest techniques, producing the finest steel in the world, compared to 1000 mostly small iron foundries scattered throughout the south.

I've seen statements that which touts the greater rail mileage in the north. And I've read that Southern Rail Systems were growing 35% faster than those in the North through the 1850s, using the latest technology and all based on the Britain's standard guage because that where the locomotives were built.

DeBow's Journal promoted Southern Industrialization as the surest path to Southern independence, within the Union. It must have had some impact.

So what's your take?
 
Back
Top