Gettysburg Turning Point

The Battle of Gettysburg happened from July 1st to 3rd, 1863, at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. During those days, the major defeat of the Confederates was documented by Northern reporters present at Gettysburg. The Confederates’ defeat was expressed in many articles and editorials, further disheartening the South. The Battle of Gettysburg was the major turning point of the Civil War. This decisive battle determined whether the Union or the Confederates win the Civil War. The Union’s clever plan of attack led to their victory, but the Confederates could have won the Battle of Gettysburg and possibly the Civil War if they did not underestimate the Union forces. On June 24, 1863, Confederate general Robert E. Lee led his army of about seventy-five

General Lee wanted to invade Pennsylvania and defeat the Union in their own territory. A victory would have relieved Virginia from the burden of war and decrease Abraham Lincoln’s chances for reelection. The Battle of Gettysburg would have ended early if the Confederates defeated the Union army at Potomac. Instead, General J.E.B Stuart went to attack the Union rear and did not report Union movements to Lee, leaving him oblivious to the Union’s position. If Stuart listened to Lee’s orders, the Battle of Gettysburg would have ended a lot earlier. The Civil War would have ended earlier too and the relations between the North and the South would not be as

The South lost a lot of potential industry when states decided to join the Union. The Confederacy, as a result, would be unable to compete with the Union. Second of all, because of the lack of industry, the South would not be able to produce as much munition for the war effort. The North would have had the upperhand. Third of all, the South did not have as many factories as the North. The South used slaves for work and was more into agriculture. Meanwhile, the North has begun to industrialize since the beginning of the century. They built modes of transportation, like railroads, which was beneficial to their industry. The South, however, barely had any modes of transportation. The South would have to take a long time to even provide reinforcements during the war. Also, the South was unable to raise a lot of money for the war effort. The Confederacy was not as unified as the Union too because they lacked a lot of political strength. The Confederacy was usually ruled by local governors because they feared the misuse of political power. Besides political and economic factors, there are also military factors. The Confederacy did not have the military strength needed, while the Union had way better generals and more militarily equipped. Because of these factors, the Confederacy would have not been able to wage an effective war or even close to winning the Civil