History on Reconstruction Era

What influence did West Point have on the strategy and tactics employed by both sides during the Civil War? Consider the leadership of various generals who graduated from the U.S. Military Academy. Which Union general first suggested and later implemented the "Anaconda Plan?" How was the plan greeted at its inception? What effect did it have on the outcome of the war? How might the Reconstruction Era have been different if Abraham Lincoln had lived to serve out his second term as President? How did the media have an impact on the Civil War? Consider how press reports affected Northern and Southern civilians’ views of the progress of the conflict. How did photography affect what people thought of the war?