Anaconda Plan:
- The Anaconda Plan, also known as the Blockade Strategy, was developed early in the war by General Winfield Scott.
- The plan aimed to encircle and squeeze the Confederacy by blockading its ports, cutting off its access to international trade and supplies.
- The Union Navy played a crucial role in implementing this strategy by blockading Confederate harbors and waterways.
Peninsula Campaign:
- The Peninsula Campaign, led by General George B. McClellan in 1862, aimed to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia, by landing troops at Fort Monroe in Virginia and advancing up the Virginia Peninsula.
- Despite initial successes, the campaign stalled, and McClellan's army was forced to retreat.
Seven Days Battles:
- In response to McClellan's Peninsula Campaign, Confederate General Robert E. Lee launched the Seven Days Battles in June-July 1862.
- The Confederates won numerous engagements, forcing the Union army to withdraw to the Harrison's Landing on the James River.
Emancipation Proclamation:
- Issued by President Abraham Lincoln in January 1863, the Emancipation Proclamation declared that all slaves in the Confederate states were free, effective as of January 1, 1863.
- While it did not immediately free all slaves, the proclamation marked a significant turning point in the war, aligning the Union's cause with the abolition of slavery.
Vicksburg Campaign and Gettysburg Campaign:
- In 1863, the Union launched two major campaigns: the Vicksburg Campaign in the Western theater and the Gettysburg Campaign in the Eastern theater.
- The victory at Vicksburg, led by General Ulysses S. Grant, gained control of the Mississippi River and split the Confederacy in two, while the Union victory at Gettysburg dealt a significant blow to Lee's Army of Northern Virginia, considered a turning point in the war.
Total War and Sherman's March:
- As the war progressed, the Union adopted a more aggressive strategy of total war, aiming to destroy the Confederacy's economy and infrastructure.
- General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea in late 1864 was a prime example of this strategy. Sherman's army cut a path of destruction through Georgia, aiming to break the Confederate will to fight.
Appomattox Campaign:
- The final phase of the war was the Appomattox Campaign, which culminated in the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under General Lee to Union forces led by General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia on April 9, 1865.
- This surrender marked the effective end of the Civil War and the preservation of the Union.