Why Was the Battle of Gettysburg a Turning Point?
Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a Turning Point?
(May 8, 2013
What comes to mind when you hear the words “The Battle of Gettysburg”? To me, I think of the event itself. The United States was two years into the Civil War, when the bloody battle in Pennsylvania broke out. General Lee, also known as the general of the Confederate army, plotted an attack at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle started on July 1st, 1863 and continued on for 3 straight days. In just those 3 days, it turned the Civil War around. A turning point is an action or event that alters the outcome of a situation. Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point? The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point for three reasons; geographic advantage, the many losses and the change in morale. The geographic advantage was a reason why Gettysburg was a turning point. In Doc A, Lincoln created the Anaconda plan. His plan was three steps; blockade, control the Mississippi River and take the capital of the South; Richmond, Virginia. The blockade was to prevent any European imported goods. That way the Confederacy didn’t have any access to shipped resources. Next, was to control the Mississippi River. By dividing the south into two, Lincoln’s scheme went as planned. Last but not least, was to capture Richmond, VA. This was the Confederacy’s capital! If the capital were to surrender to the North, then the Union will have more power, while the south remains helpless. This evidence shows that geographic advantage was a reason why the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point because it gave the North the upper hand in the Civil War. The numerous losses of the battle was a reason why the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point. In Doc B, it describes the numbers that were lost in just that one battle. The Union began with 918,000 troops, before the Battle of Gettysburg and the South started with 278,000 troops. The Union had 640,000 more troops. Now, let’s look at the results. The Unions losses
(May 8, 2013
What comes to mind when you hear the words “The Battle of Gettysburg”? To me, I think of the event itself. The United States was two years into the Civil War, when the bloody battle in Pennsylvania broke out. General Lee, also known as the general of the Confederate army, plotted an attack at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle started on July 1st, 1863 and continued on for 3 straight days. In just those 3 days, it turned the Civil War around. A turning point is an action or event that alters the outcome of a situation. Why was the Battle of Gettysburg a turning point? The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point for three reasons; geographic advantage, the many losses and the change in morale. The geographic advantage was a reason why Gettysburg was a turning point. In Doc A, Lincoln created the Anaconda plan. His plan was three steps; blockade, control the Mississippi River and take the capital of the South; Richmond, Virginia. The blockade was to prevent any European imported goods. That way the Confederacy didn’t have any access to shipped resources. Next, was to control the Mississippi River. By dividing the south into two, Lincoln’s scheme went as planned. Last but not least, was to capture Richmond, VA. This was the Confederacy’s capital! If the capital were to surrender to the North, then the Union will have more power, while the south remains helpless. This evidence shows that geographic advantage was a reason why the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point because it gave the North the upper hand in the Civil War. The numerous losses of the battle was a reason why the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point. In Doc B, it describes the numbers that were lost in just that one battle. The Union began with 918,000 troops, before the Battle of Gettysburg and the South started with 278,000 troops. The Union had 640,000 more troops. Now, let’s look at the results. The Unions losses