Verified Document

Antietam And Gettysburg While Most Of The Term Paper

Antietam and Gettysburg While most of the battles of the American Civil War took place on Southern territory, there were two major battles which took place in the North: Antietam and Gettysburg. In both cases, the Union forces were fighting off a Confederate invasion aimed at forcing the North to accept Southern secession. In both instances, the North was victorious, and these victories had a significant impact in the outcome of the war.

The Battle of Antietam took place near the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland on September 17, 1862. Southern forces, under the command of General Robert E. Lee, had invaded the North in hopes of capturing the capitol Washington D.C.. However, an Union army under the command of General George McClellan intercepted Lee's army and fought it to a standstill. Outnumbered two to one, Lee retreated back into Virginia, however, the meek McClellan did not pursue and Lee's army escaped to fight another day.

Despite the fact that the battle was a tactical draw, President...

It was a victory for the North at a time when such victories were scarce, and McClellan's army had been on a losing streak. It also made it clear that in 1862, while the North may not be strong enough to win the war, it was not so weak as to lose either. The war was going to be a very long and costly one.
Finally, the battle of Antietam gave President Lincoln the political cover to issue his Emancipation Proclamation, transforming the war between the states into a war against slavery. Lincoln's proclamation also ended any possibility of foreign support or intervention on the side of the South by either Britain or France. Once Lincoln transformed the war into a crusade against slavery, the Europeans, no matter how much they may have wanted to trade with the South, could not be seen openly siding with a slave holding country.

For the next year the war raged on with neither side making any gains toward victory. In…

Sources used in this document:
References

Goldfield, David, R. et al. (2008). The American Journey. New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Battles of Gettysburg and Antietam
Words: 1418 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

However, Lee won out, and the solid line attacked. It was a fatal decision as Union forces literally mowed down Confederate troops by the thousands. One historian later concluded, "Apparently it never occurred to him that the position [the Union line on Cemetery Ridge] could not be taken" (Wert 101). While the numbers vary, most people agree the South lost between 3,900 to 4,500 men, while the Union lost about

Winning the Civil War the American Civil
Words: 1363 Length: 4 Document Type: Term Paper

Winning the Civil War The American Civil War is considered the most costly of all the wars fought by this nation in terms of the human lives that were lost and the casualties which left young men mutilated, amputated, and barely able to carry on. Approximately 750,000 young men died by the war's end either from wounds inflicted in battle or from infection and lack of sanitation in hospitals.[footnoteRef:1] At the

Battle Fort Sumter. I Attaching Information I
Words: 1324 Length: 4 Document Type: Essay

battle fort Sumter. I attaching information I researched . The Battle of Fort Sumter has a particular significance in the history of the United States because it represented the first battle of the Civil War, the bloodiest war in the history of the country. It marked the point in which the battle for the union of the United States, as we know it today, was started. The battle did not only

Battle of Bristoe Station
Words: 3170 Length: 11 Document Type: Term Paper

Battle of Bristoe Station led many to question the Confederacy's grasp of tactics as it was a strategic blunder. In many respects, it confirmed assumptions made after the battle of Gettysburg that the leadership of the Army of Northern Virginia's officer corps was not infallible. It is the principle battle of the Bristoe campaign, one in which General Lee attempted to separate the Army of the Potomac from its

Robert E. Lee
Words: 1639 Length: 5 Document Type: Term Paper

Robert E. Lee was a significant figure in history and his actions impacted history in many ways. Lee is considered to be among other things, a great solider. He was also an ideal strategist and his decisions did lead to implications that can be seen today. Perhaps the most significant of his actions was choosing to support the Confederates. For example, had he decided to side with the North, the

Battle of Little Round Top
Words: 1796 Length: 6 Document Type: Case Study

Essentially little more than a last-ditch suicide run, Chamberlain's out-of-ammunition bayonet-charge captured a good portion of the Alabama brigade and turned the tide of Battle of Gettysburg in favor of the Union. It was the cry of men like Chamberlain to hold the line and orders like Vincent's, "Don't give an inch!" that made all the difference in the Battle of Little Round Top and the conflict that continued at

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now