Battle of Antietam: A Bloody Day in US History

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The Battle of Antietam is remembered as the bloodiest single day of the American Civil War and US history. This battle, also known as the Battle of Sharpsburg, was fought on September 17, 1862; and it was named by the Union because it took place near Antietam Creek. The Union army led by General George McClellan and the Confederate army led by General Robert E. Lee encountered each other near Antietam Creek in Sharpsburg, Maryland. The Battle of Antietam was the first battle of the American Civil War to be fought on the northern soil. Although the battle was not a clear victory for either side, for the North, the battle near Antietam Creek "saved" the nation. The victory furthered President Lincoln's ability to issue his preliminary Emancipation Proclamation (September 22, 1862) announcing that unless the Confederates put down their arms by January 1, 1863, he would free all slaves not residing in Union controlled territory.
Up until the Battle of Antietam, all of the major battles had been fought on southern soil. After the Union defeated the South at the Second Battle of Bull Run, Confederate General Robert E. Lee decided that it was time to go on the offensive, so he and his army marched into Maryland. On September 17, 1862, General Robert E. Lee’s army crossed to the Union territory for the first time hoping that a victory on their land would end the war. Both General Lee and the Confederate’s President Jefferson Davis, thought that a successful invasion would convince France and Great Britain to officially recognize the Confederacy as a nation.
Union soldiers led by General McClellan were desperate to get the enemy back to their land. The cannon fire had become so intense that Confederate Colonel Stephen D. Lee, who commande...

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...tietam on September 17, 1862, Lincoln knew it was time to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. The proclamation reflected Lincoln's high-minded morality and his new way of thinking about the issue of slavery. Because Congress was urging emancipation, President Lincoln was under great pressure. Once Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, no civilized nation would side against the "defenders of freedom".

Works Cited

Hama, Larry. The Battle of Antietam: "the Bloodiest Day of Battle" New York: Rosen Pub. Group, 2007. Print

The Editors of Encyclopædia Britannica. "Battle of Antietam (American Civil War)." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 Dec. 2013. Web. 06 Apr. 2014

United States. National Park Service. "Artillery at Antietam." National Parks Service. U.S. Department of the Interior, 19 Mar. 2014. Web. 06 Apr. 2014.

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