Question

Conflict during the Civil War escalated dramatically in 1861. President Lincoln followed General Scott's Anaconda Plan. The Union forces wrapped around the South like a giant constrictor snake. Union troops set up blockades along the southern U.S. coast. This was intended to prevent the transport of Confederate troops and supplies by sea. Capturing Hatteras Inlet in North Carolina was crucial to the Anaconda Plan. Hatteras Inlet had helped Southerners get through the Union blockade. The inlet was a hole in the "snake" that the Union was building. Do It! The Anaconda Plan would _________ the Confederate army.

A. dissolve
B. benefit
C. impress
D. weaken

Answer 1

The Anaconda Plan was designed to weaken the Confederate army by imposing a naval blockade and controlling key waterways to limit the Confederacy's ability to sustain itself. The correct answer is D.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Anaconda Plan, named for the way the Union aimed to constrict Confederate trade routes and military operations, was a strategy developed during the American Civil War. It involved a naval blockade of the Southern coast and aimed to capture key points along the Mississippi River to divide the Confederacy and restrict its ability to sustain itself. The goal of the plan was to weaken the Confederate army by limiting its access to resources and by cutting off its supply lines. Through the blockade, Union forces sought to prevent the transport of troops and supplies, and by capturing critical inlets such as Hatteras Inlet in North Carolina, they closed important channels used by the South to evade the blockade.

Throughout the war, this strategy, along with key victories in battles like Gettysburg and Vicksburg, significantly contributed to the Union's success. The plan, over time, placed severe pressure on the Confederate war effort, leading to shortages of food, munitions, and other vital supplies, and exacerbated the economic hardship faced by the Confederacy due to inflation and a lack of industrial infrastructure. Ultimately, the plan was a critical component of the Union's comprehensive approach, which, in combination with military campaigns, helped to bring about the surrender of Confederate forces and end the Civil War.