Question

Why did Northern strategists view the Mississippi River and its tributaries as vital to a Union victory in the Civil War?

Answer 1

Answer:

What was the purpose of the Union campaign along the Mississippi? First, the Union sought to gain control of the Mississippi River, and thereby split the Confederacy.  The Lower Mississippi River Valley was the most critical theater of the Civil War. The Mississippi River served as the major interstate highway of 19th-century America. The river enabled people to transport goods from St. Louis and Pittsburgh through New Orleans to the world.  A victory at the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863 gave the Union control of the Mississippi River in the American Civil War.

Explanation: