North Advantages
In several aspects the north was better prepared for an eventual war if occurred. The north had more railroad mileage than the south; more then twice. (N=21,700 miles, S=9,000 miles.) Movement of food, supplies and troops were faster and more effective because of this. There were also more then five times more factories in the north then there was in the south, (N= 110,100; S=20,600) so the union was better able to produce the guns, ammunition and other things needed for the war. The economy was balanced in the north between farming and industry. The North was also much more wealthier than the South.
The Northerners had already their own functioning government with an army and a navy. The population in the north was twice as big than in the south (N=21,5 million; S= 9 million) which abled more people to participate in the war but also enough to stay back and work on the growth of their economy.
South Advantages
The South Confederates though had some advantages too. Most of the nation's military colleges were in the south, and a majority of the trained officers of the nation were southerners and they sided with the confederacy. The southerners also didn't need to initiate in the war to win it, all they needed is to maintain a well built defense. The morale of the southerners was also an advantage because most of them were eager to fight considering the war a struggle for their way of life.
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