Civil War Turning Point Research Paper

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In the American Civil War, there were numerous decisive battles and events that affected the result of the war, but there were a few two that stood above the rest. The Union capture of Vicksburg and the victory in the Battle of Gettysburg, both of which were in July of 1863, along with Grant’s victory at the Battle of Chattanooga in November of 1863, were three of the most important battles fought during the Civil War, making 1863 a turning point in the American Civil War. On July 3, 1863, Major General George Meade defeated Robert E. Lee at the Battle of Gettysburg in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Battle of Gettysburg was the first serious defeat for Lee, and it prevented a Confederate invasion into the North. Additionally, the battle decimated the Army of Virginia, taking roughly one third of Lee’s troops as casualties. The importance of the Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg was the effect it had on General Lee and the Confederacy’s war strategy. The battle completely shut down all progress the South had made past the Mason-Dixon line, and from this point on the Confederacy made no further attempts at a strategic offensive. Southern morale vaguely affected by the defeat. This is due to many assuming that Lee had suffered only temporarily and would quickly continue the Northern invasion.…show more content…
Grant on July 4, 1863. The Confederate’s loss of Vicksburg split the Confederacy in two, removing its control of the Mississippi River, and cutting supply lines from the West shipping to sustain the Eastern war effort. Along with strategical losses, the Confederates also lost roughly 20,000 men who surrendered with the city, greatly impacting the South’s numbers and war cause. President Abraham Lincoln once proclaimed that “Vicksburg is the key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our
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