During the Civil War, Revenue Cutters performed blockade duties along which waterways?

• A. Pacific Coast
• B. Atlantic Coast, Chesapeake Bay, and Potomac River
• C. Gulf of Mexico
• D. Great Lakes

Answer: (B)

Blockading Confederate ports relied on controlling the main eastern seaways and the key rivers that led to important ports and the capital. Revenue Cutters operated to enforce that blockade along the Atlantic coast and the water routes feeding into major ports, including the Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River, where ships could slip into or out of Confederate harbors and where Washington, D.C. needed protection. By patrolling the Atlantic coastline and controlling the Chesapeake Bay and its approaches via the Potomac, these cutters helped seal off supplies and trade routes that the Confederacy relied on. While other waterways like the Gulf of Mexico also saw blockade activity, the combination of the Atlantic Coast with Chesapeake Bay and Potomac River reflects the primary theaters where Revenue Cutters were actively enforcing the blockade in this era.