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To What Extent Was The Battle Of Gettysburg A Turning Point Dbq

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Where nine roads meet sits Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, a small town unheard of to the common man, but not for much longer. The Battle of Gettysburg, which spanned over three days in July of 1863, will change the direction of the Civil War forever. This is the turning point; where power will shift from the Confederacy to the Union. The Union troops have dug into the hills and the Confederacy is coming in on the offensive, riding high on previous wins, but in this battle, the defense reigns victorious. The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the war due to massive casualties, geography of the town of Gettysburg, and pivotal shifts in morale. Gettysburg will result in the largest casualty rates of the Civil War. Amongst these large numbers, …show more content…

The morale of the South has weakened after they have to retreat out of Gettysburg. In a letter to Jefferson Davis, Lee writes, “I [...] request Your Excellency to take measures to supply my place. [...] No one is more aware than myself of my inability for the duties of my position” (Doc. C). General Lee has given up on himself and is asking to be replaced as Commander in Chief of the Confederate Army. If he is no longer in charge, the Southerners will lose their greatest leader and most powerful weapon. Also, as the spirits of the Confederates weaken, the Union morale is on the rise. After a large victory at Gettysburg the Union is more unified than ever. After the battle, the “Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln stated the great cause which united the Union soldiers for one cause. He declared, “It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us [...] that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom” (Doc. D). Through this Address, the North has a reignited cause; to complete the mission of those who died for it and defend freedom for all. The Union has come together as one to win this war for their fallen comrades. This is the most uplifting cause they could fight for, and it sparks a fire in them to defeat the Confederacy. Through an enormous morale shift, the North has turned the course of the war in their

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689 Words | 3 Pages

In September 1862, a battle was fought in a small town in Maryland. More lives were lost than any other battle or war that the United States has ever experience before or since. This battle had no true winner but it did have consequeses that changed the course of the Civil War. In James M. McPherson’s book Crossroads of Freedom Antietam The Battle That Changed the Course of the Civil War, he shows how small events added up to lead to the Battle of Antietam and ultimately to the North winning the Civil War.

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Some people may argue that these are not the reasons why it was a turning point. Some people may say that both Union and Confederate did not lose a significant of soldiers. If you look at Document B Chart it shows you the estimated casualties at Gettysburg and it was a lot. Some people may say that the Confederate did not lose The Battle of Gettysburg. General Robert E. Lee clearly states that the Confederate lost the battle in Document B.

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Robert E. Lee lost his will to fight. Lee wrote a letter to Jefferson Davis (Confederate President) telling him that he was dissatisfied with himself. (Document C) This letter was written August 8, 1863, AFTER the Battle of Gettysburg. (Document C)

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1344 Words | 6 Pages

In the first letter sent, General Lee talks about the struggles they were going through. Many suffered during this time in many different ways and struggled to stay alive. They were losing many people and not only soldiers but Generals too. General Barksdale was killed,General Garnett and Amistead were both missing. Generals Pender and Trimble were wounded in the leg and had a lot of trouble walking so moving to different places was hard.

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464 Words | 2 Pages

President Abraham Lincoln, in his inaugural address, addresses the topic of the civil war and its effects on the nation and argues that America could be unified once more. He supports his claim by using massive amounts of parallel structure and strong word choice. Lincoln ‘s purpose is to contemplate the effects of the civil war in order to unite the broken America once again. He adopts a very hopeful tone for his audience, the readers of the inaugural address and others interested in the topic of American history and the civil war.

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441 Words | 2 Pages

After Lee had invaded the north for the second time, he was forced to retreat after three days of fighting and 50,000 casualties. Lincoln changed the outcome in this war by the help of telegraphs, making it so the soldiers were able to communicate on the battlefield. They used these telegraphs to confirm troop locations, both their enemy and their own troops, and they used them to order the movement of the troops. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address honored not only the soldiers, but it reminded the Union of why they needed to continue fighting in the war. He inspired the soldiers to save both democracy and to end slavery by alluding to the Declaration of Independence.

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This battle took away many soldiers in different ways. Some were killed, some were wounded, and some even went missing. Around 43,000 casualties overall were at the Battle of Gettysburg. 23,000 for the Union and 20,000 for the Confederates according to (Doc. B). By the end of this battle a lot of both sides armies’ were decreased in size.

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Where- The Battle of Gettysburg was fought at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania . Why- The Battle of Gettysburg was important because it was the turning point of the war. Before Gettysburg, the Union army was losing the war.

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670 Words | 3 Pages

The Battle of Gettysburg was a three day fight in which an estimate of 51,000 soldiers were killed in total, but besides all of the casualties, what else makes this battle special? The Battle of Gettysburg was a huge factor in the abolishment of slavery. It is one of the most important battles because it created new war strategies and was the turning point in the Civil War, which led to the Gettysburg Address. The Confederate general, Robert E. Lee, was very confident because of his army utmost victory.

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We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.” The change of the final line from a threat of the sword if they choose to rebel, to a poetic plea for peace that puts the impetus of war on the secessionists, shows more than any other section of the speech that southern acceptance of unity is his ultimate goal.

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The Battle of Gettysburg didn’t just affect the soldiers either, like Vicksburg did, Gettysburg affected everyday people who were just trying to

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General Lee states he is loosing confidence, and his doubt of war made the South's chance of winning this battle slimmer. Lee confirms he is unable to meet expectations, and slowly they loose power as the North stands strong. In letter two, line six, Lee says, "I am unable to accomplish what I myself desire, how will I be able to fulfill the expectations of other people?" In this line Lee shows weakness, and he shows that he is worried. The attitude the Confederates General was showing, made their army doubtful.

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After 2 years of constant bloodshed in America, the Battle of Gettysburg took place in the small town, with only about 1.7 square miles of land to cover. This was a small victory that prevented the Confederate army from capturing any land further into the Union territory (Town History). Historians have made statements that if the Confederates would have conquered Gettysburg, they could have either turned around and taken Washington, or even Philadelphia and Baltimore, under the commander General Robert E. Lee. Union General George G. Meade strengthened his army by taking advantage of the South’s hesitation to attack his army, which contributed to the victory and made the Confederates halt and retreat (History Place). This battle was critical because it gave the Union a leg up on the land at a crucial position of the South’s

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62 Words | 1 Pages

In Gettysburg on July 1-3 The bloodiest battle in history took place. It was between Union and the South also known as the confederation. The battle was also known as the Invasion of Pennsylvania. An estimated 53,000 men were killed, wounded, missing, or captured. It was a successful victory for the union.

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699 Words | 3 Pages

The most important battle during the Civil War was the Battle of Gettysburg. This was a battle that took place over three days in the small Pennsylvania town of Gettysburg on July 1, 1863. This battle was the turning point of the civil war which successfully stopped the Southern Confederate Armies led by General Robert E. Lee from taking over the north. The Battle of Gettysburg was the most important battle of the Civil War because it was the largest of the civil war battles, successfully pushing back southern armies away from the north, and was the major defeat of the south. The battle of Gettysburg is still considered to historians to not only be the most important battle of the Civil war but the deciding factor towards victory.

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