1. Historical context in which the battle occurred.
a. Of what larger conflict was this battle a part?
The Battle of Gettysburg was a battle that was contained in the American Civil War. The battle occurred in June, 1963, and it was a crack in the Confederate army that was commanded by Robert E. Lee. The Confederates sidestepped the Union that was defending Washington and it went marching deep into Pennsylvania. The Federals moved north in order to intercept those who were invading, and this resulted in a collision (Stackpole, 1963). This resulted in one of the bloodiest, and one of the most crucial battles in the United States’ history.
b. What events led up to this particular battle being fought?
The troopers who were with the Union
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The battle resulted in over 3,000 Union soldiers and nearly 4,000 Confederates dying. There were also a total of 20,000 who were injured or missing from each side. After the battle, Abraham Lincoln said the battle shows the struggle there is to preserve the majority rule and the republican government. The resulting Address is said to be what started the “civil religion” in America (Huston, 2012). Others say that the Address was a reinterpretation of the Constitution and it gave permission to the use of government powers to promote equality throughout the United States, instead of restricting the government to solely enhance the individual’s freedom (Huston, …show more content…
The Confederate forces were soon joined by back up reinforcements of their own as 30,000 Confederates drove back approximately 20,000 Union troops on the first day of the battle (Civil War Trust 2014). Day Two saw an increase in personnel on both sides as Union forces held an area populated by hills and ridges at the Southern region of Gettysburg while Confederate forces slowly wrapped their men around their opponent's positions. The Confederates were advancing to take the fight but the Union stood their ground (Civil War Trust 2014). By the third day, the fighting continued at a number of vital areas but the most important element of the battle was the Confederate assault of 12,000 infantry on the center of the Union line at Cemetery Ridge, aka Pickett's Charge. It would prove to be a big mistake for Lee and the Confederacy as the Union brigades drove them back, inflicting immeasurable harm on their Southern adversaries and forcing them into retreat (Civil War Trust