The Union blockade of the Southern ports was part of General Scott's Anaconda Plan.
The Anaconda plan involved choking off the Southern supply of goods via a port blockage in tandem with the Union Army coming up, around, and down the Mississippi River and working through the south systemically.
They surrended after 33 hours of being constantly cannoned.
The answer is (1) because of its value as trading center ect
Life was hard because many southern cities lay in ruins and there where
no jobs around leaving Africans Americans homeless and penniless. Hope this helps
