Control of the sea was significant during the civil war because

federal power is further limited with a system of checks and balances that gives each branch of government a measure of power over the others.

explanation:

abraham lincoln  (february 12, 1809  – april 15, 1865) was an american statesman, politician, and lawyer who served as the 16th  president of the united states  from 1861 until  his assassination  in april 1865. lincoln led the nation through the  american civil war, its bloodiest war and its greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis.[2][3]  he preserved the  union,  abolished slavery, strengthened the  federal government, and modernized  the u.s. economy.