Answer:
At the onset on the war, in 1861 and 1862, they stood as relatively equal combatants. The Confederates had the advantage of being able to wage a defensive war, rather than an offensive one. They had to protect and preserve their new boundaries, but they did not have to be the aggressors against the Union.
Answer:
On July 4, 1776, the Congress issued the Declaration of Independence, which for the first time asserted the colonies' intention to be fully independent of the mother country. The Congress established itself as the central governing authority under the Articles of Confederation, which remained in force until 1788.
Slaves were contributing to the Southern war effort by providing food, supplies, and manual labor.
