Welcome

Slavery was more than a labor system. The slave society of the South in 1860 was a different economic order from the free-labor North. Riding on the extraordinary wealth, breadth, and reach of "King Cotton," which was worth more than all other American exports combined, the South simply did not develop the manufacturing, transportation, or financial-services sectors that had characterized northern economic growth since 1790. The value of slaves as property also exceeded the total investment in northern factories, railroads, and banks. But when it came to fighting a war, the South's slave system was no match for northern resources, especially as black Americans took advantage of the crisis to sabotage production and to make their way to Union lines. The Confederates' expectation of diplomatic and military help from cotton-hungry allies in Britain and France never materialized.

Explore the influences of economic resources on individual battles and the evolution of military strategy through these accounts.

Introduction
"Severing the Confederate Artery"
"Lifeblood of a Nation"
"A Capital Cast in Iron"
"A New Economy of War"