in the election of 1860, the democratic party split and the republican candidate for president, abraham lincoln, was elected. after this, many southern states left the union. eventually, eleven states left. they tried to start a new country called the confederate states of america, or the "confederacy". a war started between the union (north) and the confederacy (south). not having factories made it harder for southern soldiers to get guns or uniforms. the south could not get supplies because northern ships blockaded the southern coast.