Union (Civ5)/Civilopedia

During the American Civil War, the Union was the name used to reference the states still aligned with the federal government of the United States. Mainly comprised of states that had already outlawed slavery without a federal mandate, 20 in all, the North also controlled five slaveholding border states. The Union was led by President Abraham Lincoln, who oversaw both the logistical and tactical aspects of the war against the South.
From the onset of the war, the Union states had vastly more resources and manpower available to fuel their efforts, with the North being much more industrialized than the South. The Union also had a much larger population from which to recruit soldiers, outnumbering the South nearly four to one. However, despite these advantages, the Union was still faced with a difficult task in reclaiming the southern states. The Confederate armies were led by skilled officers, and fighting to defend their home states gave the Confederates a distinct advantage in their knowledge of the terrain.