After a year and a half of warfare, both sides were showing strain. In the North, Lincoln added the abolition of slavery to the war's objectives, hoping to rally enthusiasm. In the South, increasing hardships were being asked of the people. The South was in danger of losing control of the Mississippi River. In the east, its armies continued to hold ground, but it was not likely the Confederacy could win the war that way. Invading the North and winning a victory there or capturing a major Northern city began to look like a chance worth taking.