Many people consider July 4, 1863 to be the turning point of the Civil War. The confederates lost two battles that day, the battle of Gettysburg (Pennsylvania) and the Fall of Vicksburg (Mississippi). These two major events caused two other confederate armies, one in Tennessee and one in Arkansas, to lose battles as well. Both of these losses were greatly influenced by the campaign of Vicksburg. If these two battles had been wins for the Confederates instead of losses, the war could have had a completely different result. The Civil War decided what kind of country America would be; would it be a slave nation or a free nation? This war occurred due to differences in the free and slave states wanting to prohibit slavery in territories …show more content…
Lincoln himself said that if Meade had fought on that final day in Gettysburg and destroyed Lee’s army, that the war could have been over then. The surrender of Vicksburg, in addition to victory at Gettysburg, greatly heartened the North and made July 3, 1863, the turning point of the American Civil War (Vicksburg Campaign). The campaigns of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, in spite of their importance, showed that the war would not be over soon, even though the North won both battles. In the minds of many historians, when one hears the name John Clifford Pemberton, they should think failure, defeat and ruin, his career was defined by what happened in Vicksburg (Smith). Gettysburg is considered to be the turning point because it ended the South’s attempt to invade the North, and turned the Army of Northern Virginia into a purely defensive group. A Union victory at Vicksburg gave them control of the Mississippi River, blocked Texas from the rest of the South and ended any worries the Union had of the Confederates attacking the …show more content…
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In 1863, the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, was awoken to the beginning of what was to be the turning point of the Civil War for the Union. It began as a small skirmish, but by its end it involved so many Americans to which would become one of the bloodiest battles ever taken place on Unites States soil. The Battle of Gettysburg was not only a turning point in the war.
...as the turning point of the American Civil War. The battle proved to show the most casualties of any battle throughout the war and resulted in a crushing and demoralizing defeat of the Confederates. Coming off of his “perfect battle”, Lee’s overconfidence proved to be a downfall as his expectation for his men greatly exceeded the reality of his army. Added to this, his disorganization and lack of coordination led to numerous disjointed attacks that failed and in turn exhausted his men. Finally, Lee ultimately knew less about his opponent throughout the entire battle, which was a huge switch from previous meetings between the two sides. He was forced to fight arguably the most important battle of the Civil War with insufficient intelligence of the enemy, its positions and its intentions. All of these factors are what caused the Confederates to fail at Gettysburg.
The famous Battle of Gettysburg was a major part of the Civil War. Before the Battle of Gettysburg, the Confederate army had the advantage. Although the casualty tolls of both armies were relatively close in numbers, the North and the South’s attitudes towards the war completely differed after the Battle of Gettysburg. The events occurring in the months following the historic battle were what gave the Union Troops the greatest advantage leading to their victory at the end of the Civil War.
Quoting the Gettysburg Address: “The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but can never forget what they did here…”, states just how important the incidents at Gettysburg were. The impact of the Battle of Gettysburg on the Civil War, and on the United States of America as a whole, will never be disregarded. It resulted in the Confederate never being able to reach the military strength they had in Adams County again. In the viewpoints of the two sides, this battle left the North to rejoice, and the South to mourn. Despite the fact that the Battle of Gettysburg was a defining moment in the nation’s history, it would not nearly end the Civil War, as it ran on for another 2
After giving an introduction of the events leading up to the Vicksburg campaign, you see the reasons why they attacked. To gain full control of the Mississippi River. By discussing Pemberton’s action of moving a majority of his army towards Grant’s army. Resulting in great loss of life and moral for his troops. The communication problems which caused Pemberton’s army to be unprepared for Grant’s fast approaching army. That the capture of Jackson, Mississippi was harmful for the city of Vicksburg. Without supplies running through Jackson they had no way to feed themselves. By then going over the large defenses of Vicksburg and how much it mattered to the Confederates. Then going over the remainder of the war and how Vicksburg’s fall effected it. After all of the researching I found the answer. Without supplies an army can’t function and the Confederates relied on one location for that. The battle of Vicksburg was the most important battle in the Civil War because it cut off the supply route between the two divisions of the Confederates. If Robert E. Lee’s army actually did win the battle of Gettysburg but lost Vicksburg, the outcome of the war would have been the same. A Union victory over the Confederate Army. The Union would most likely still win if it was the other way around but it would have lasted longer. We will never know this for sure but a Gettysburg loss was better than a Vicksburg loss. Most people who do not research into this are taught that Gettysburg was more important. It was important but not nearly as important as the Battle of
Gettysburg was the turning point of the American Civil War. This is the most famous and important Civil War Battle that occurred over three hot summer days, July 3, 1863, around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. More importantly Gettysburg was the clash between the two major American Cultures of their time: the North and the South. The causes of the Civil War, and the Battle of Gettysburg, one must understand the differences between these two cultures. The Confederacy had an agricultural economy producing tobacco, corn, and cotton, with many large plantations owned by a few very rich white males. These owners lived off the labor of sharecroppers and slaves, charging high dues for use of their land. The Southern or Confederate Army was made up of a group of white males fighting for their independence from federal northern dictates (The History Place Battle of Gettysburg 1).
The Civil War is one of the defining wars in the history of this great nation. The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle in American history, and a turning point in the four year war. At the time, Gettysburg was a small, quiet town generally unaffected by the war. General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate States of America and General George Meade of the Union converged in Gettysburg, and a conflict quickly arose. After three long days of battle the Union pulled away with a victory, though not an easy one. This essay will outline the six themes of history; in essence the who, what, when, where, why, and who cares of this infamous battle.
The last battle of the Civil War, is the Battle of Vicksburg. General Ulysses S. Grant after so many attempts in trying to capture the fort of Vicksburg to have total control of the Mississippi River, Grant surrounds the town for an easy surrender from the Confederacy. With the Mississippi River controlled by Union hands, the Confederates outcome was sealed. A year after the Battle of Vicksburg, Abraham Lincoln officially puts General Grant in command of the Union army. In November 1864, President Lincoln is re-elected, for his second term for the presidency.
The bloodiest battle of them all, the battle to end all United States Civil War battles, and the three days of warfare that would affect United States history forever. The Battle of Gettysburg restored the people’s hope in the Union government, forced Confederate troops to retreat from battle, and put an end to one of the most well-known civil wars in history. The south’s rebellion and desire for secession from the United Sates to create the Confederate States of America is blamed as one of the major causes for the war to begin. The Union, in theory, had the odds on their side by having more supplies and soldiers, but the Confederacy had the majority of the victories up until The Battle of Gettysburg. The Union had reason for distress and had much to lose if The Civil War turned to be a Confederate victory. For the first two years of the war the Union Military battled in the states taking hard hits but the Battle of Gettysburg created a turning point in the Civil War because it transferred the upper hand from the Confederates ultimately sealing the Union’s victory.
Grant’s hard-won victory at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in May of 1863 was a strategic masterpiece. On May 1, 1863, Grant's army crossed
the Union won the Battle of Gettysburg, and the battle itself was largely determined by the Battle of Little Round Top. From the famous Civil War speech by
According to General Meade, this three day battle (July 1st- 3rd, 1863) went down as follows. The Union army believed the confederate army had 100000 men leaded by General R. E. Lee crossed the Potomac River and was moving forward into Cumberland Valley. So, in June 28, General Meade started gathering troops and strategizing. However it was not until June 30th that they first sight enemy troops in Cashtown road. By this time, General Reynolds (general serving the Union) was in charge to occupy Gettysburg. General Reynolds reached the place on July 1st and found Buford’s (another general from the Union) cavalry engaged with confederates. Reynolds moved around went to Cashtown road and attacked. By this time, the Union was being successful; they had even captured several prisoners, including General Archer from the Confederate army (Meade). Then, the same day, around 1 and 2 pm, the Confederates brought superior forces and they changed the way of the battle; the Confederates were now winning. This lead that, at 4 pm, Major General Howard (Union) decided to withdraw from Cementery Ridge at south of the town. This, h...
The battle of Gettysburg occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as a meeting engagement, but by its end involved approximately 170,000 Americans. The battle is considered to be the turning point in the American Civil War and is one of the most studied battles in American history. The events that took place at Gettysburg had a tremendous impact on the outcome of the Civil War and the fate of the United States.
Two years after the start of the Civil War, the Union and the Confederate armies came to meet in one of the most famous battles of the Civil War; the Battle of Gettysburg. A battle that played a critical factor in determining how both sides would continue to fight future battles. The Battle of Gettysburg took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania during the first three days of July in 1863. Though not victorious, it is in the Battle of Gettysburg in which General Robert E. Lee can be proclaimed as a master of the organization of war. It was in the summer of 1863 that would mark a turning point during the Civil War. It is estimated that tens of thousands had already perished as a result of the war from both the Union and the Confederacy. With no definite side to be declared victorious, there were still thousands more to die by the time the Civil War would come to an end. The Battle of Gettysburg was a decisive triumph for the Union despite the fact that the South continued to fight for two more years.
The Battle of Gettysburg is considered to be the turning point of the Civil War. Late in May the Confederate army marched toward Pennsylvania with shoes in mind. Their soar feet were aching and it was understood to be a large supply of shoes in the state of Pennsylvania. General Robert E. Lee’s 70,000 men were dived up into three different cores. The leaders of the three cores were James Longstreet, Stonewall Jackson, and A.P. Hill. As the Confederates traveled through Pennsylvania they had no respect for the civilians. The Confederate troops stole livestock, clothing and food from the civilians. They sent African Americans back into the south. The Union army followed the confederates through Maryland to see what they were up to. The commander in charge of the union army was George Mede.