The Anaconda Plan

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The Anaconda Plan was a brilliant idea proposed by General in Chief Winfield Scott to neutralize the south by forming a blockade around the Confederate border using naval and land blockades to suffocate the South’s resources and became a large contributor to the Union Victory. The Union forces depended on the blockade of Southern ports to cripple the South’s forces and give the North a large upper hand. However, the large scale blockade of the South proved to be more difficult than anticipated. The Anaconda Plan was criticized constantly by the press and civilians and said to be a waste of time by eager citizens from both sides ready to end the war as quickly as possible. As the war progressed, it was no question the amount of damage the blockade had truly cost the South. With the Confederate economy shattered due to the large scale blockade, the Anaconda Plan diminished the means to receive resources in the South, all trading partners with other countries were severed, and strongly contributed to a Union Victory as it destroyed the South from within and shattered the lives of all Southerners, diminishing all hope of winning the war. President Lincoln first called for a large scale blockade six days after a Confederate bombardment at Fort Sumpter during the beginning of the Civil War. This idea was highly criticized by other generals and Union citizens due to the 3,000 plus miles of treacherous coastline and the belief in a quick victory. However, as the war progressed, Union forces grew strongly dependent on the blockade of Southern ports to cripple the South’s forces. The blockade was designed to force the South into submission in the most humane way possible and with least bloodshed and proved to be highly effective. As ports were blocked off and taken over, commerce with other countries were quickly tied and with no ports, shipping cotton would become highly
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