Hinton

Cameron Hinton Mrs. West Language Arts Gifted 8 19 December 2013

!e "nion #$oc%ade of &out!ern 'orts

W!en most (eo($e t!in% about t!e Ci)i$ War* t!e+ t!in% of o((osing armies facing eac! ot!er in o(en fie$ds. A$t!oug! t!is is true* t!ere ,as a great dea$ of fig!ting t!at occurred in t!e ,ater as ,e$$. As +ou ma+ %no,* t!e -ort! ,as more industria$i.ed t!an

Hinton

t!e &out!. Due to t!is* t!e -ort! ,as ab$e to construct $arge f$eets of ironc$ad s!i(s. !e+ used t!ese s!i(s (rimari$+ to b$oc%ade sout!ern (orts. !e &out!* on t!e ot!er !and* ,as (rimari$+ based on agricu$ture and ,as not ab$e to manufacture ,ar s!i(s as easi$+ or as /uic%$+ as t!eir nort!ern o((onents. !erefore* t!e "nion ,as successfu$ on t!eir attem(ts to b$oc%ade sout!ern (orts ,!ic! cut off trade for t!e Confederac+. !e "nion #$oc%ade ,as a strateg+ t!at ,as (ut in ($ace around 1802. Large f$eets of s!i(s* most$+ ironc$ads* ,ere stationed around sout!ern (orts* cutting off trade for t!e Confederac+. !is !urt t!e &out! a $ot more t!an +ou ,ou$d !a)e t!oug!t. As +ou a$read+ %no,* t!e &out! ,as not industria$i.ed1 t!e+ !ad recei)ed a$$ of t!eir manufactured goods from ot!er nations suc! as 2ng$and and 3rance in return for t!eir cotton. As a resu$t of t!e b$oc%ade* t!e+ no $onger recei)ed t!e muc! needed su(($ies t!at ,ere needed for ,ar and t!e basic su(($ies t!at ,ere used in e)er+da+ $ife. o counteract t!e b$oc%ade* t!e &out! used a met!od ca$$ed 4cotton di($omac+5. !is met!od refers to t!e &out! attem(ting to get ot!er nations to tr+ and brea% t!e "nion6s b$oc%ade. 2ng$and and 3rance bot! ran te7ti$e mi$$s from t!e &out!6s cotton. 8nstead of getting in)o$)ed in t!e ,ar* as t!e Confederac+ !ad !o(ed* t!e+ decided to bu+ cotton from 2g+(t. !erefore* t!e &out! ,as sti$$ surrounded b+ t!e b$oc%ade. As t!e ,ar (rogressed* t!e Confederac+ ,as continuous$+ running out of su(($ies. !eir so$diers ,ere not (ro(er$+ e/ui((ed* and common ob9ects t!at ,ere once ,e$$ %no,n in t!e &out! became increasing$+ !ard to find. !e &out! des(erate$+ needed more su(($ies if t!e+ ,ere going to ,in t!e ,ar. 8n order to do t!is* t!e+ needed to get (ast t!e b$oc%ade t!at ,as (ut in ($ace b+ t!e "nion. !ere ,ere t,o main met!ods t!at ,ere used to get t!roug! t!e b$oc%ade* b$oc%ade runners and ot!er

Hinton

ironc$ads. #$oc%ade runners ,ere usua$$+ sma$$ s!i(s t!at snea%ed (ast t!e $arger "nion ironc$ads s!i(s. !ese s!i(s often carried su(($ies into b$oc%aded (orts in an effort to !e$( t!e Confederac+. An e7am($e of t!is ,ou$d be !o, on t!e nig!t of -o)ember 11* 1801* 2d,ard C. Anderson (i$oted t!e Fingal t!roug! t!e "nion b$oc%ade. Ho,e)er* once t!e "nion $earned about t!is* t!e+ ,ere determined to sto( furt!er incidents $i%e t!is. !e ot!er met!od used in t!e effort to brea% t!e "nion b$oc%ade ,as t!e use of ot!er ironc$ads. :ne of t!e most famous e7am($es of t!is is t!e #att$e of Ham(ton ;oads ,!ic! too% ($ace on Marc! 9* 1802. !is ,as t!e first batt$e bet,een t,o ironc$ads in !istor+ and ,as foug!t bet,een t!e "&& Monitor* and t!e C&& Virginia <(re)ious$+ t!e "&& Merrimack=. A$t!oug! t!ere ,as no c$ear ,inner* t!is batt$e started a ne, age of na)a$ ,arfare. A$t!oug! t!is b$oc%ade too% time to fu$$+ form* it !ad a $arge im(act on t!e sout!ern econom+. Man+ of t!e common materia$s and t!e needed su(($ies ,ere not ab$e to be im(orted* ,ea%ening t!e &out! considerab$+. !e b$oc%ade stretc!ed from >irginia to Louisiana and ,as formed main$+ from ironc$ad s!i(s. !ese s!i(s ,ere !ea)ier t!an most s!i(s* a$$o,ing sma$$er* faster s!i(s to get t!roug! at times. :)era$$* t!e "nion #$oc%ade of t!e &out! did as muc! damage as t!e actua$ fig!ting t!at too% ($ace.

Hinton

Wor%s Cited ?#att$e of Ham(ton ;oads.? History.com. A@2 e$e)ision -et,or%s* n.d. Web. 1A Dec. 2013. ?Ci)i$ War 8ronc$adsB #ac%ground.? American History. A#CCCL8:* 2013. Web. 0 Dec. 2013. ?C&& Virginia.? American History. A#CCCL8:* 2013. Web. 0 Dec. 2013. Gair* #ett+ D. ?;unning t!e #$oc%ade.? Cobblestone 1 :ct. 2011B n. (ag. EBSCO. Web. 1E Dec. 2013. F!tt(BGG,eb.ebsco!ost.comGe!ostGsearc!GbasicHsidIe8Ac2EdbC eaJeCJf3bC90E2C3dAfda8J2ef3KJ0sessionmgrJ003@)idI8@!idIJ10EL. ?ironc$ads.? American History. A#CCCL8:* 2013. Web. 1A Dec. 2013. 'o$mar* -orman. ?Wars!i(.? The World Book Encyclo edia !"##. 2011. 'rint. &tanc!a%* Do!n 2. ?War on t!e Water.? Eye$itness Books Ci%il War. LondonB Dor$ing Minders$e+ 'ub.* 2000. A0CA1. 'rint. We$born* Dames H.* and ;ic!ard Houston. ?"nion #$oc%ade and Coasta$ :ccu(ation in t!e Ci)i$ War.? &e$ 'eorgia Encyclo edia. -.(.* 23 Du$+ 2010. Web. 1A Dec. 2013.