Alabama was the most famous of the 20 Confederate cruisers that preyed on Union merchant ships and whalers during the American Civil War (1861-1865). Together with the Florida, Shenandoah, and 17 other cruisers, the Alabama destroyed 257 Union ships. The Confederate cruisers also forced more than 700 other Union ships to travel under foreign flags to avoid attack. The raiders had little effect on the outcome of the Civil War. But their actions disrupted trade and nearly destroyed the United States Merchant Marine.