On July 1, 1863, the biggest battle of the Civil War started. This most famous and most important Civil War Battle occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Before the battle, Union general Ulysses S. Grant started a siege of Vicksburg which would shut down the Mississippi River. Meanwhile, major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. The Union and Confederate army both had around 75,000 soldiers. With both armies on a collision course, the days leading up to the war were …show more content…
Both armies suffered about the same losses. The 3 groups that make up the total casualty numbers are the killed, wounded and missing. The North had a total of 23,040 casualties and the South had between 20,000 and 25,000 casualties(Document A). Even though the casualties were about the same, it affected the South way more because the North had a much larger supply of men to replace the casualties, the South didn’t. The North had more than 3 times the size of men as the South. At the end, both sides lost nearly the same amount of men. The North started with thousands of more troops than the South. Therefore, compared to the North, the South was very very small. This evidence shows that the numerous losses was a reason that the Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point of the Civil War because the South couldn’t afford to take another major loss of men without knowing they were going to lose and that they would not have enough men to …show more content…
The geography of the North destroyed the chances that the South had of winning. The number of casualties for the South was about the same as the North, but it affected the South way more because they had a way smaller amount of men. As a result, the south lost all of its morale and confidence in winning this war. Both armies, exhausted, held their positions until the night of July 4, when Lee withdrew. The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the Civil War, costing the Union 23,000 killed, wounded, or missing in action. The Confederates suffered 25,000 casualties. The South had won most battles before the Battle of Gettysburg because they were fought in the South. Unfortunately, for the South, the Battle of Gettysburg was fought in the North and the North's geography was totally different from what they are accustomed to. Robert E. Lee wrote letters to Jefferson Davis saying he cannot fulfill his position as General. He states, “I cannot even accomplish what I myself desire. How can I fulfill the expectations of others?...”(Document C) His morale and confidence in these letters have been diminished. Abraham Lincoln on the other hand wrote the Gettysburg address. This speech made the south lose more of its morale and hope in the war. h In this speech he gave a new meaning to the war. The Battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the Civil War due to geography,
The Battle of Gettysburg was the most decisive battle for the North, and it lasted for a total of three days. It began on July 1 and ended on July 3, 1863. The Confederacy was going on the offensive and was beginning to venture into Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Washington D.C. They encountered Union troops as they advanced towards Harrisburg where they planned to cut off Union supply lines and to steal provisions that they needed. The Battle of Gettysburg became the bloodiest multi-day battle ever fought in United States history. At the end of the Battle of Gettysburg, the Union claimed victory, and they would use this psychological advantage throughout the rest of the Civil War.
It can be debated where exactly the Union was able to claim its victory during the War Between the States. Most people could narrow the turning point in the war to Gettysburg and Vicksburg. The battle of Gettysburg was a very tragic loss for the South, but the battle at Vicksburg was the largest victory for the North. In this lone battle, the Union created an economic problem for the South. The Union Army’s troops, helped by gunboats and river ironclads took control over the Mississippi River. This action virtually split the Confederate territory in two while also seizing control over the South 's main artery of transport. When Vicksburg fell to Union troops on July 4, 1863, the Confederacy lost its last chance to control the Mississippi River.
The Civil War, composed of the Union run by numerous generals replacing one another, and the Confederacy lead by Robert E. Lee, was and still is one of the most gruesome wars in American History, and the Battle of Gettysburg is considered by most as an incredible turning point of the war. This is due to how the Union brought down the Confederacy’s winning streak, and gave the Confederacy a huge blow to their manpower, supplies, and overall strength to win (Battle of Gettysburg, 1). Robert E. Lee, though a great general throughout the Civil War, was a failure during the Battle Gettysburg because he was not able to get his men to their jobs done in time. Another reason he was a failure was because of his plan to attack again on July 3rd which
This most important Civil War Battle occurred over three summer days, July 1 - July 3 1863, around the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as not that big of a deal but by the time it ended, there were 160,000 Americans. Before the battle, a lot major cities in the North such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and even Washington D.C, were under threat of attack from General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia which had crossed the Potomac River and marched into Pennsylvania. The Union Army of the Potomac under its new commander, General George G. Meade, marched to intercept Lee. ( Jeffry D. Wert)
Of that total loss, 12,800 were wounded, 5,250 were missing and 2,600 to 4,500 were killed. At the end, both sides lost nearly the same amount of men. The North started with thousands of more troops than the South. Therefore, compared to the North, the South was the size of a pea. This wouldn’t be a problem for the South if they had enough eligible men to serve, but their numbers, once again, were millions of men short from the North. This evidence shows that the numerous losses were a reason that the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point because the South couldn’t afford to take another major loss of men without knowing they were going to lose and that they would not have enough men to replace.
The battle of Gettysburg was detrimental to both sides thousands of casualties were ultimately lost with the Union securing the victory. This was accomplished through various factors that included a more economically stable environment for the north. Strategy also played a central role in orchestrating a blockade that prevented the South from exporting any goods to other nations and its inability to gain any diplomatic recognition from Britain or France. If the South had won at Gettysburg, the final outcome of the war would not have changed because of the North’s strategic and economic advantages that ultimately won the Civil War.
What was so important about the Battle of Gettysburg was that during the Civil War General Lee attempt to penetrate northern boundaries so he could draw the attention away from the Union defenses. He wanted to manipulate his way around the Yankees so he could have a final battle on s ground of his choosing on Northern territory. Lee's Army as well trained as he believed they were could not outdo the Union Army and their numbers.
The Gettysburg Battle was known as the bloodiest battle during the Civil War, as millions of lives were lost on both sides of the nation. In 1863 the Confederate and Union armies, both with 75,000 men, marched to face each other. General Robert E. Lee was the General who commanded the Confederate Army, and George Meade was appointed on June 27 as the new Union army general. On June 30, the Union and the Confederate army readied themselves for the battle ahead.(Background Essay) Geography, casualties, and the morales aided to the belief that then Battle of Gettysburg was a time when the tide shifted in favor of the North.
At this point in the Battle of Gettysburg, both North and South sustained large numbers of casualties. The Southern casualties roughly totaled 7,000 of 22,000 troops. The North suffered even more by losing 15,000 soldiers. Both sides needed to re-evaluate their battle strategies. Lee thought victory for the South was possible with better timing and artillery. Conversely, Meade and his other Union generals decided to stay in their current position and continue the battle (King 22).
The three-day Battle of Gettysburg, starting on July 1st in 1863, would be known to be one of the most memorable and important battles in history. It would become the major outcome of the Civil War. The day of the outburst of the Battle of Gettysburg was a hot humid day on the first of July. It was between two sides. One side was the Union, which was the Army of Potomac Commanded by General George G. Meade, along with other notable commanders such as John F Reynolds, Winfield Scott Hancock, Daniel E. Sickles, George Sykes, John Sedgwick, Oliver O. Howard, Henry W. Slocum, and Alfred Pleasonton (“Battle of Gettysburg,” 2016). The other side was the Confederate Soldiers called the Army of Northern Virginia who was commanded by General Robert E. Lee, along with other notable commanders as well, which were James Longstreet, Richard S. Ewell, A. P. Hill, and J.E.B. Stuart (“Battle of Gettysburg,” 2016). Between these two sides, the Army of Potomac had a great advantage with 93,700 men and 372 guns, while the Army of Northern Virginia were outmanned and outgunned with only 70,100 men and 280 guns. The Army of Potomac’s mission was to defeat the Army of Northern Virginia as well as to make sure Washington, D.C. remained safe. It may seem like the Army of Potomac would be the clear winner at the Battle of Gettysburg yet the Army of Northern Virginia had a strategy that would help to attempt to beat the Union which was to go on the aggression and confront them. This would
However, they chose a collision course due to the North not wanting another invasion. According to the map, both sides could have had a higher ground. If either sides would have chosen a different route things may have been different. Also, it wouldn't be called the Battle of Gettysburg considering it could have not been there if there was a different route. Also found in the map you can see how many more Union soldiers than the Confederate soldiers. This was a major turning point , because of how many more Union soldiers there were. The map in general was a major turning point, because it lets us see the
bloody and costly years for both sides we come to the date of July 1,
The Battle of Gettysburg was clearly one of the biggest battles in the Civil War. General Robert Lee led his Northern Virginia Army to victory at Chancellorsville and was feeling a great deal of confidence ("Battle of Gettysburg"). He then decided with this confidence he would try a second attempt at invading the North. The reason Lee took his troops north was because he wanted to take the pressure off of the Virginia farms. Lee also thought that if he won any battles on northern territory, that it could possibly put pressure on President Lincoln to settle the war ("History Place - Battle of Gettysburg").
In conclusion, a major turning point in the civil war was the battle of Gettysburg. This is a major turning point because of the geography, the casualties, and the Gettysburg address. The geography of this war was in the North and South, there were many casualties, and the Gettysburg address was for slaves. Those are some of the ways the Gettysburg battle was a turning point in the civil
“Death created the modern American union, not just by ensuring national survival, but by shaping enduring national structures and commitments. The work of death was Civil War America 's most fundamental and most demanding undertaking”— Drew Gilpin Faust. Death in the Civil War was indeed a principle in creating the America we know and love today. This was the bloodiest war in United States military history. Within the war was the Battle of Gettysburg, a battle that was engulfed in massive suffering and loss of life. July first through the third 1863, A rural town in the eastern United States, Gettysburg Pennsylvania, is host to the largest, most fierce, battle ever to occur on American soil. At the start, Rumors were circulating that Lee was marching his army over the Potomac river and into southern Pennsylvania. Eventually, solid military intelligence confirmed this, and with an equally sized army, under the command of Gen. George G. Meade, the Union began on a collision course with the confederate army, and so began the Battle of Gettysburg. Gettysburg was a turning point because, the south’s morale declined while the north’s increased; northern casualties were lower than the south’s; and the north gained a geographical advantage from the battle.