The Union Blockade of Georgia's Coast

The Union Blockade was an event that, while it involved no real bloodshed, strangled and destroyed the economy of Georgia and the entire Confederacy. The Union, which had a much more powerful navy than the south, sent ships to stop the entry and exit of all goods that would have been imported or exported through the Atlantic ocean or the Gulf of Mexico. This ultimately crumpled the Southern economy, and it was absolutely necessary to get rid of the blockade.There were two major new inventions that were created as a result of the blockade as well:
1. The blockade runners- Blockade runners were small, fast ships owned by the British navy which were quick and could get away from big ships. While 5/6 were successful, many were still caught by the Union.
2. Ironclads- The ironclads were ships made of iron that resisted cannonballs and could sink ships by simply running into them. The Confederates created the Merrimac and the Union the Monitor.

The reason why the south was blockaded was because of the many losses the north had been suffering and it led to the creation of ironclads and the death of the southern economy.



This cartoon was made in 1861, and it depicted the blockade. It was called Scott's Anaconda or Great Snake because of Winfield Scott, the man who made the plan to blockade the coast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Union_blockade