What is Blockade runners of the American Civil War?
[[File:CSSRobertELee.jpg|thumb|right|350px|{{Center|The ''[[CSS Robert E. Lee]]'' a famous Confederate blockade runner}}]] The '''blockade runners of the American Civil War''' were specially outfitted [[Confederate States of America|Confederate]] ships designed to slip through the [[blockade]] of [[Southern United States|Southern]] by the [[Union Navy]] during the [[American Civil War]].<ref name=blockrunACWM>{{cite web |url=https://acwm.org/learn-and-do/online-resources/video-resources/blockade-runners-american-civil-war |title=blockade Runners, American Civil War |publisher=The American Civil War Museum |access-date=November 19, 2016 }}{{Dead link|date=January 2021 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> On April 19, 1861, one week after Confederate forces attacked [[Fort Sumter]], [[President of the United States|President]] [[Abraham Lincoln]] ordered the blockade.<ref name=brunEA>{{cite web |url=http://www.encyclopediaofalabama.org/article/h-1861 |title=Blockade Running in the Civil War |author=Matthew Young |website=Encyclopedia of Alabama |publisher=Alabama Humanities Foundation |access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> In response, the Confederacy used small fast ships known as blockade runners.<ref name=brunEA/> During the first two years of the Civil War, the blockade had very limited success. As many as two out of every three ships entering or leaving Southern ports were successful.<ref name=brunEA/> The Union Navy had to patrol nearly 3,500 miles of seashore along the [[Atlantic Ocean|Atlantic]] and [[Gulf Coast of the United States|Gulf coastlines]].<ref name=purposeSC>{{cite web |url=http://study.com/academy/lesson/the-blockade-and-blockade-runners-during-the-civil-war.html |title=The Blockade and Blockade Runners During the Civil War: Definition & Purpose |publisher=Study.com |access-date=November 19, 2016}}</ref> But as the Union built more ships, the blockade became more effective. As few as 25% of blockade runners were successful later in the war.<ref name=brunEA/> == Background == Th