Why were New Orleans and Vicksburg important to the Confederacy and the Union?

New Orleans, near the mouth of the Mississippi River, and Vicksburg, on a high point along the river, were crucial to controlling river traffic. The Union sought both cities to gain control of the Mississippi and divide the Confederacy, while the Confederacy needed them to keep that route. So the correct choice is “They were both key to controlling the Mississippi River.”

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