Why the war did not last only 6 weeks...

"About the only thing the South seemed to have going for it was a home-field advantage." (this quote and data below are from Don't Know Much About History by Kenneth C. Davis)

What each team had starting out:

North

23 states - including California, Oregon, and the 3 "border states" of Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland, and 7 territories

Population: 22 million (4 million of combat age)

Economy:

• 100,000 factories
• 1.1 million workers
• 20,000 miles or railroad (70% of US total; 96% of all railroad equipment)
• $189 million in bank deposits (81% of US total bank deposits)
• $56 million in gold specie

South

11 states

Population: 9 million (3.5 million slaves; only 1.2 million men of combat age)

Economy:

• 20,000 factories
• 101,000 workers
• 9,000 miles of railroad
• $47 million in bank deposits
• $27 million in gold specie

The North also outproduced the South in agricultural products and livestock holdings (except for asses and mules). But the South did produce more cotton than the North, which was raised by.....the slaves.

What the South had to its advantage:

The US Army was largely comprised and led by Southerners who immediately defected to the South's cause.

Southerners for the most part were better riders and better with weapons.

The Northern armies were made up largely of conscripts from urban areas (many who were immigrants who spoke less to no English), who were less familiar with weapons and were not as excited as fighting for the "principles" of "preserving the Union" and stopping the spread of slavery.