USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -Control of the Mississippi River during the American Civil War was an economic and psychological factor for both the North and the South. For many years, the river had served as a vital waterway for midwestern farmers shipping their goods to the eastern states by way of the Gulf of Mexico.

Detailed explanation-2: -The Mississippi River was the primary conduit for supplies and communication through the south as well as a vital lifeline for goods going north. To Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Vicksburg was the “nailhead that holds the South’s two halves together.” President Abraham Lincoln remarked, “Vicksburg is the key!

Detailed explanation-3: -The Mississippi River begins at Lake Itasca, a small glacial lake in northern Minnesota, and flows southward for about 2, 350 miles (3, 782 km) until it reaches the Gulf of Mexico.

Detailed explanation-4: -The major tributaries are the Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Red rivers. Given their flow volumes, major Ohio River tributaries like the Allegheny, Tennessee, and Wabash rivers are considered important tributaries to the Mississippi system.