The Battle Of Antietam Was The Turning Point Of American...

The battle of Antietam was the turning point in American history pertaining to the possible division of the nation, the abolishment of slavery, and the success of a democratic government. The battle analysis examines the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederate and Union army leading up to the battle on September 17, 1862. Union and Confederate forces suffered severe losses totaling 22,719 casualties, ending with Confederate forces withdrawing to the south. Broken and unmotivated, Union and Confederate soldiers lost morale and drive to finish the battle. The fact that Lee withdrew from the battle of Antietam was enough of a victory for President Lincoln to justify the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation, and prevented the Confederate army from gaining foreign support. The battle analysis of Antietam assesses the invasion of Maryland, human intelligence assets utilized, and failures on both sides of the battlefield. This battle analysis will depict an alternate outcome of the Confederate army winning at the battle of Antietam (Cannon, 1994). President Abraham Lincoln took office on November 6, 1860, three months later eleven states seceded from the Union to form the Confederate States of America. Lincoln wanted to eradicate slavery and issue the Emancipation Proclamation. He knew it would be hard to unite the north and south, due to southern reliance on slavery in the cotton fields. Confederates were fully aware of President Lincoln’s plan to abolish slaveryShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Of Antietam By Robert E. Lee1046 Words   |  5 Pagesthe American Civil War. The Civil War was fought between the North (Union) and the south. The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862 near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and it was the bloodiest day in American history. Before the battle, the confederacy had a better chance of winning the war. Conflict arose between McClellan and Robert E. Lee which sparked the invasion of the north and the beginning of a long war. McPherson argued in his novel that the battle of Antietam w as the turning pointRead MoreThe Civil War : The Battle Of Antietam969 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1800s, there was a war that happened that caused many people to die in the war, which was Civil War. The Civil War was a war that was fought between the Union and Confederate parts of United States. The Union was in the North, and the Confederates were in the South. There were many reasons why the battles were fought. During the Civil War, the president was Abraham Lincoln. There were many reasons why the war was fought, but the main reason was to keep the country together. Before the war, theRead MoreThe Battle Of Antietam And The Civil War876 Words   |  4 Pages Ryan Prendergast Morrow A/B American Studies First Draft Neil Armstrong, the first man on the moon, uttered the words,That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind. This meaningful sentence perfectly represents the Battle of Antietam as a turning point in the Civil War and its effect on America decades later. The small step was one man s step on the moon just like the Battle of Antietam was just another battle during the Civil War, but they were short and impactful events thatRead MoreAnalysis Of James Mcpherson s The Opening Sentence 931 Words   |  4 Pagesbloodiest single day in American History.† The opening sentence in James McPherson’s book is quite telling. McPherson goes on to describe that around 6,500 Union and Confederate soldiers combined met their deaths at the Battle of Antietam. McPherson’s use of death statistics bring the reader into his narrative, and help the reader to begin thinking about the impact the Civil War had on America. According to McPherson the Civil War was constantly changing hands, at some points the Confederates wereRead MoreEssay on Battle of Antietam1561 Words   |  7 PagesThe following case study will be about the Battle of Antietam that took place on September 17, 1862 in Sharpsburg, Maryland along the Antietam Creek. Known as â€Å"†¦the bloodiest single day in American History,† by the end of the day there would be approximately twenty-three thousand casualties of which forty-five hundred to six thousand were dead. The first topic of discussion will be on the history leading up to the morning of the seventeenth in order to establish the mindset of the commanders onRead MoreThe Battle Of The Civil War960 Words   |  4 PagesHave you ever wondered why the Civil War happened or why it was so substantial to American History? What was the battle that changed it all; that made it the history it is today? Many people have made speculations on the causes of the war and what the major turning point was, but cannot really narrow it down. In James McPherson’s Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam he points out the pivotal moments in American history that led up to and changed the Civil War, so that the reader can get a better insightRead MoreThe Battle Of The American Civil War1018 Words   |  5 Pages On September 17, 1862, the Union and Confederate armies met near the Maryland village of Sharpsburg in a battle that still remains the single bloodiest day in American history. The battle consisted of many attacks and counterattacks between Union General George B. McClellan and The Army of the Potomac against Confederate Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Confederates managed to fight relentlessly over the course of the struggle. However, afterRead MoreThe Battle Of Allan Pinkerton s Human Intelligence On The Enemy s Position And Troop Strength Essay700 Words   |  3 PagesMcClellan’s apprehension robbed him of victory and allowed Lee’s forces to consolidate prior to the Battle of Antietam (Davis, 1999). If McClellan had defied Allan Pinkerton’s human intelligence information claiming the Confederacy consisted of 120,000 soldiers, he could have defeated Lee prior to the battle of Antietam (Cannon, 1994). L ee relied heavily on J.E.B. Stuart’s scout unit for reconnaissance missions to gather intelligence on the enemy’s position and troop strength (Cannon, 1994). OnRead MoreTen Days that Unexpectedly Changed America Summary Essay1406 Words   |  6 PagesChapter 1: â€Å"Massacre at Mystic† May 26, 1637 was a fateful day in the history of America. The actions of Major John Mason and his Puritan men set a precedent for the next two hundred years of European and Indian relations. On that clear May night near the Mystic River of New England, hundreds of Pequot Indians were killed by the Europeans and their allies, most of the victims being the elderly, women, and children. This massacre was a massive turning point in the Pequot War, effectively ruining theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book Crossroads Of Freedom By James M. Mcpherson1167 Words   |  5 PagesBook Essay Two The book Crossroads of Freedom: Antietam, was written by James M. McPherson to argue why the Battle of Antietam was the battle that changed the cause of the Civil War. While McPherson argued this he also argues that the Civil War had many other turning points and was not settled by just one battle. McPherson’s targeted audience would have to be those interested in the Civil War and the events that led to it. McPherson wrote this great book which came to be an important contribution