Why was the North stronger than the South?
Why was the North stronger than the South? Over 80% of the prewar United States' industry was concentrated in the Northern states. The North was able to produce its own weapons, and over the course of the war, manufactured over two million rifles, while the South often had to rely on imports and captured weapons.
Did the South ever have a chance?
Southern chances were always bad. The North had more men, resources, railroads and a navy. The South could have won if the North came to terms in 1862. However, by 1863, the South had physically lost the war and only way the South could win was if, and only if, the North lost its nerve.