North vs. South
The nation was distinctly separated. The North was the Union and the South became known as the Confederacy. The states in between were the border states. The nation was divided not only by state lines, but also by their morals and values.
During the Civil War, the North and South had several different views on the way of life. The Civil War was a series of battles between the North and the South over issues such as slavery and states' rights. When Lincoln, who opposed slavery, was elected president, this caused conflict with the South, who viewed slavery as a way of life. This difference tore the nation in two; the Confederacy, consisting of mostly southern states, and the Union which was mostly northern states. This began the long war that shaped the nation as we know it.
The North and South had many advantages and disadvantages over each other. The North, being mostly industrialized, had the advantages of manufacturing and advancements in production of military goods. In the South, they had a lot of land. This allowed them to have great control over the natural resources of the nation. The South, however, was mostly farm land, and it had a lower population than the North. This gave the North an advantage of having more able bodied men to fight. However the South had many of the nation's well known generals, which allowed them to fight a strong defensive battle. Both sides had advantages and disadvantages during the war.
Railroads stretched all across the nation. They not only transported soldiers faster but also served as an efficient way to move supplies. The North had most of the railroads between the two nations, and they used it to their advantage.