Why was the Union determined to capture Vicksburg during the Civil War?

Related questions

• What did the United States Treasury create when the Legal Tender Act was passed in 1862?
• What was the main purpose of General Sherman's March to the Sea?
• Why is the American Civil War the deadliest war for Americans?
• How did the civil war affect states rights?
• What effects did reconstruction have on agriculture and industry in the south after the civil war?
• Should the south have been punished for seceding from the union?
• Why was the Civil War considered a turning point in American history?
• Who was the Confederate general who surrendered to General Grant at Appomattox Courthouse?
• What technological advancements in military warfare came from the Civil War?
• Why is the battle of Gettysburg considered a turning point in the Civil War?