The three prongs of the Anaconda Plan were:
* A naval blockade of the Confederate coast. This would prevent the Confederacy from importing supplies from Europe and other countries, and would also cut off the South's access to its cotton market.
* An invasion of the Mississippi River Valley. This would split the Confederacy in two, and would also give the Union control of the vital transportation routes along the river.
* A campaign against the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. This would be the final blow to the Confederacy, and would force the South to surrender.
The Anaconda Plan was a sound strategy, and it ultimately led to the Union victory in the Civil War. However, it was also a very slow and costly plan. The war lasted for four years, and hundreds of thousands of people died.