Why did it take the Union so long to defeat the South? Your answer should include a discussion on the advantages and disadvantages both sides faced...

There are several reasons that it took the Union so long
to win this war.  At first, it looked as though the Union had all the advantages and
this would be a short war. First, the Union had the large population, people to fight in
the war and work in the factories to make war materials.  The North also had the
industrial base, the factories to make these war materials.  The Union also was
wealthier than the Confederacy and could finance the war.  The Union had an established
army and government, but the Confederacy would have to build their army and government
from scratch.  Finally, the Union had a navy which they used to blockade the southern
coast. But the Confederacy had advantages, too.  The Confederacy would be fighting a
defensive war, which is much easier than having to invade and conquer a territory,
something the Union would have to do. Because the Union would have to invade the south,
their supply lines would be much longer, and the Confederate army’s supply lines would
be much shorter.  Because they would be fighting on their own land, they could take
advantage militarily of their knowledge of the land.  They would be defending their
homeland which would give them a strong incentive to fight.  They would also be fighting
among friendly people. Finally, some of the best military leaders, such as Robert E. Lee
and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, chose to fight on the side of the Confederacy.  It took
Lincoln almost three years to find a competent commander in Ulysses S. Grant.  It was
because of these Confederate advantages that the war took so long for the Union to
win.