ABout The Plan
The Anaconda Plan was an idea for the North to win the Civil War. Thought of by General Winfield Scott, this plan was created to strangle the Rebels--like a snake--back to the Union with out great bloodshed. There were two main priorities: blockading the southern ports and taking control of the Mississippi River. Many people criticized the plan. Some Northerners believed that capturing Richmond and a few Northern wins would win the war.
Blockading the South
The first priority of the plan was to blockade the South. Doing such made the South a lot weaker. Supplies such as advanced weaponry and foreign medicines were not available to them. The blockade were very powerful and effective. Blockade-runners--people who try to escape blockades and secretly trade-- were mostly unsuccesful. 1 out 6 blockade-runners escaped the blockade. Even though they could get out, the goods they bartered was about one-third of their usual. Blockading was key in the Unoin's win. The lack of supplies forced Robert E. Lee to surrender.
Contolling the Mississippi River
The second priority of the plan was to control Mississippi River. The Union's control over the river split the South in two and made it unable to move supplies using the river. This part packed a punch on the rebels. While they tried control of it, they had many victories: Vicksburg, New Orleans, and Memphis were some of them.
Overall, the Anaconda Plan was genius and won the war for the Union.