Beginning of Essay
had solved some old problems for the United States. Towns have been rebuilt, new industries flourish, and new schools have been erected. Most of the damage of war has been long repaired. North and South both enjoy prosperity. But many human problems still remain. ....

Middle of Essay
.... than Confederates “crossed over.” The South had superior officer personnel. For twenty years before Lincoln’s inauguration, southern officers had dominated the US Army. Another source of southern confidence was cotton. Secession leaders expected to exchange that staple for the foreign manufactured goods they needed. The South’s most important advantage was that it had only to defend relatively short interior lines against invaders who had to deal with long lines of communication and to attack a broad front. The Confederacy also had no need to divert fighting men to tasks such as garrisoning captured cities and holding conquered terr ....