Why would loosing the border states damage North?

The loss of the border states would have been devastating to the North for several reasons:

- Loss of territory and resources: The border states were a crucial source of natural resources, such as coal, iron, and timber, which were essential for the Northern war effort. Losing these resources would have severely weakened the North's ability to wage war.

- Loss of manpower: The border states also provided a significant portion of the North's manpower. Losing these troops would have made it much harder for the North to field a large enough army to defeat the South.

- Loss of support: The border states were a crucial source of political and financial support for the North. Losing these states would have made it more difficult for the North to maintain public support for the war.

- Increased support for the South: The loss of the border states would have boosted morale for the South and could have led to increased support for the Confederacy.

- Potential recognition of the Confederacy: If the North lost control of the border states, it would have become increasingly difficult to claim that the Union was still a viable entity. This could have led to foreign powers recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate nation, which would have been a major diplomatic blow to the North.

Overall, the loss of the border states would have been a major setback for the North and could have significantly impacted the outcome of the war.