(A) it held control of key river forts
(B) ** it had a fleet of armored gunboats
(C) it had African American troops
(D) it had European troops
EXPLANATIONS BELOW
Concept note-1: -The Union had more troops than the Confederacy in the West. The Union was fighting on familiar ground in the West. The Union had strong leadership in the West.
Concept note-2: -The South’s greatest strength lay in the fact that it was fighting on the defensive in its own territory. Familiar with the landscape, Southerners could harass Northern invaders. The military and political objectives of the Union were much more difficult to accomplish.
Concept note-3: -What military advantage did the Union have over the Confederacy in the West? It had a fleet of armored gunboats.
Concept note-4: -In 1861, the Union states had 22.5 million people, compared to just 9 million in the Confederate states (including 3.7 million slaves). Not only did the Union have more manpower, it also had a larger navy, a more developed railroad system, and a stronger manufacturing base.