The Anaconda Plan

The Anaconda Plan involved controlling the Mississippi River and blockading the ocean from the south so that they wouldn't be able to trade for resources. The man who thought it up's name was Winfield Scott.

Winfield Scott; Left

He first talked about his plan in a letter to General McClellan who then presented it to President Lincoln.

The letter read: It is the design of the Government to raise 25,000 additional regular troops, and 60,000 volunteers, for three years. ... We rely greatly on the sure operation of a complete blockade of the Atlantic and Gulf ports soon to commence. In connection with such blockade, we propose a powerful movement down the Mississippi to the ocean, with a cordon of posts at proper points ... the object being to clear out and keep open this great line of communication in connection with the strict blockade of the seaboard, so as to envelop the insurgent States and bring them to terms with less bloodshed than by any other plan.

General McClellan

The first implementation of this plan was a

blockade of the South on April 16, 1861; six days after the fall of Fort Sumpter.

This is an artist's rendition of a blockade ship.

The second part of the plan, (which was to capture the Mississippi) was accomplished gradually by the armies of Henry W. Halleck, Ulysses S. Grant, and Nathaniel P. Banks.

One reason that this plan was different from other army plans s that this one was designed to be as blood-free as possible.

This is a cool representation of the Anaconda Plan.

Kian's Artist's Statement

Winfield Scott's Anaconda Plan proved to be a crucial part of the Civil War even though it wasn't the only thing that won it.

The big snake is an Anaconda. Anacondas constrict their pray and that it kind of what the North was doing to the South, thus the name the Anaconda Plan. The snake represents the blockades that the north put on the south.

The ships on either side of it are trying to trade with each other but they can't because of the blockade. They are the South and Europe.

The blue men in the North are the soldiers that didn't have to fight because of the plan.

On the right of the Mississippi River there is a brick wall. It represents how the Union gained control of the Mississippi and split the south i half.

On the right of the wall there is a box of goods and a bag of tobacco. They are trying to get to the other side of the river but they can't because of the wall. On the left of the river there is a gun and a cannon which are also trying to get across the river but can't because of the wall.

The reason that New Orleans is on the map is because it was a major port for the south.

Next to New Orleans there is a stack of boxes and a bag of cotton. This represents how, since they can't trade them, their resources are just piling up. 

The North is blue because that is the color that the Union wore and the south is grey because that was the color that the Confederates wore.

Thank you for reading my artist's statement.

Kian Dye, Frank's Design Team