Gettysburg A Turning Point Essay

Sara Johnson

Rick Laws

HIS 131

February __ 2023

The Battle of Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg was one of many battles held during the Civil War. However, it was not like most battles, instead, it was the most significant and bloodiest battle in the war. Additionally, not only was the Battle of Gettysburg the turning point of the Civil War, Civil War, but it also led to an important, widely known speech by Lincoln that still stands strong to Americans today.

In early June, after an ambitious celebration of the victory over Major General Joseph Hooker at the Battle of Chancellorsville, General Robert E. Lee hopefully and confidently led his 75,000 troops North. Both the troops and General Lee were hopeful in the thoughts that

Not long after, on July 1st, one of the Confederate divisions approached Gettysburg in search of supplies, leading them to an unplanned encounter with the Union cavalry. Confederate reinforcements, under both Hill and Ewell finally reached the scene. The 30,000 confederate troops swiftly overpowered the Federals and forced them back through the town to Cemetery Hill, which was just a short distance to the South. Lee wanted to have a lead upon the Union troops, so he suggested to Ewell that he attack Cemetery Hill. Ewell turned this suggestion down because he considered the Federal position to be too powerful. This reluctance gave him many similarities to Stonewall Jackson, a previous general who was murdered at Chancellorsville. By the evening, another set of Union troops arrived to extend the defense line along Cemetery Hill. Additionally, throughout the night, three more Union divisions arrived, only strengthening the Union's army, and increasing their likelihood of

As a result of Gettysburg, President Lincoln gave a speech. This speech was intended to commemorate a cemetery for the many fallen soldiers, but it did much more than that. This speech was also Lincoln’s chance to declare that the Civil War was not just a battle to save the Union, it was also for the purpose of acquiring freedom and equality for all the people who lived in the country. Lincoln tied his speech back to many important founding events such as the Declaration of Independence, the principles of human equality, and the many sacrifices made in the Civil War. At Gettysburg, so many brave men had lost their lives. Lincoln was working hard to connect with peoples' heartstrings so that he could inspire hope for winning the war, reunifying the Union, and ending a big issue at the time- slavery. Lincoln’s speech emphasized the importance of our great task to ensure “that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” This went down in history as one of the most important and memorable speeches AND one of the most important battles in the Civil