Why was Lincoln's policy toward the border states (green band) considered crucial to Union victory?
- A
Their congressmen held the balance of power in Congress
- B
They were the only sources of cotton for Northern textile mills
- C
They controlled the only railroads connecting east and west
- Dcheck_circle
Their loss would have given the Confederacy access to the Ohio River and key population and industrial resources
Explanation
Keeping the border slave states in the Union preserved Northern strategic geography (Ohio River, Washington's defense), denied the Confederacy major resources, and is why Lincoln moved cautiously on emancipation early in the war.