The Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought from July 1st to July 3rd 1863; this is considered the most important battle of the U.S. Civil War. In the decades following the battle, it became a symbol of reconciliation, as soldiers from the Union and the Confederacy returned to the battlefield to shake hands across the fence lines. A few months after the battle it became the site of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. This is where he proclaimed his vision for ‘‘a new birth of freedom’’ for the United States of America. Many people view this as the greatest addition in our nation’s history. This battle was the turning point of the Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg was a historic, very gruesome, but significant battle in the history of United States. It changed the whole outcome of the Civil War.
The Importance of the Battlefield
In the decades following the battle, it became a symbol of reconciliation. As soldiers from the Union and the Confederacy returned to the battlefield. They shake each other’s hands across the fence line. The events of July 1-3, 1863, produced more than 50,000 casualties, with an estimated 7,500 soldiers killed. Many historians consider Gettysburg a major turning point of the Civil War after Northern forces turned away a Confederate advance. Because of the events that took place on the battlefield it has earned its name and significance. This battlefield is a very important part of the history of the battle of Gettysburg. “Veterans shook hands across stone walls they had been using as cover during Pickett’s Charge. And in 1913, close to 50,000 veterans recognized the 50th anniversary of the battle. At the 75th anniversary, in 1938, nearly 2,000 veterans joined President Franklin D. Roosevelt to dedicate the Eternal Light Peace Memorial on the battlefield.” (
The Gettysburg address
A few months later it became the site of Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg address. This is where he proclaimed his vision for ‘‘a new birth of freedom’’ for the United States of America. Many people view this as the greatest addition in our nation’s history. The Gettysburg Address is a speech delivered by Abraham Lincoln at the November 19, 1863, dedication of Soldier’s National Cemetery, a cemetery for Union soldiers killed at the Battle Of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. In fewer than three hundred words delivered over two to three minutes, Lincoln invoked the principles of human equality. The Gettysburg address is one of the most quoted political speeches in United States history, it was delivered at the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on November 19, 1863, during the American Civil War, four and a half months after the Battle of Gettysburg. “There are five known copies of the speech in Lincoln’s handwriting, each with a slightly different text, and named for the people who first received them: Nicolay, Hay, Everett, Bancroft and Bliss. Two copies apparently were written before delivering the speech, one of which probably was the reading copy. The remaining ones were produced months later for soldier benefit events. Despite widely-circulated stories to the contrary, the president did not dash off a copy aboard a train to Gettysburg. Lincoln carefully prepared his major speeches in advance; his steady, even script in every manuscript is consistent with a firm writing surface, not the notoriously bumpy Civil War-era trains. Additional versions of the speech appeared in newspapers of the era, feeding modern-day confusion about the authoritative text.” ( ) “Land preservation efforts began immediately after the Battle of Gettysburg and resulted in a national cemetery, consecrated by Lincoln on November 19, 1863. In a mere 272 words, Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address recast the war as not merely a struggle to maintain the Union, but as a battle for larger human ideals. Lincoln called for “a new birth of freedom” and asserted that the survival of democracy itself was at stake. He told his countrymen that the task remaining was to ensure “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” (
The Deciding factor
The battle of Gettysburg brought the momentum to the U.S. side if we would not have one that battle, some say we would have lost the war.The battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle of the American Civil War as well as the largest battle ever fought in North America, involving around 85,000 men in the Union’s Army of the Potomac under Major General George Gordon Meade and approximately 75,000 in the Confederacy’s Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert Edward Lee. Because of the historical events that took place on the battlefield those glorious three days, the symbol of reconciliation goes along with it. The North strategy was to hold their position on small hills spread throughout the battle field. This was very effective as the South were unable to take control. This was a completely defensive strategy. Lee’s strategy at Gettysburg was to draw the Union a bit away from Gettysburg into Confederate lines and then flank them by both sides This was the strategy for the majority of the battle. The union dominated the confederates with their battle strategies. Lee had to come up with a different plan to break the strong Union Defense held together by the hills. The unions strategies worked effectively against the confederates, while the confederates struggled to get theirs to work. The union dominated the confederates in every aspect with their strategies and the confederates could never come back to win. The union was able to exploit their opponents weaknesses and the confederates failed at that. Ewell and Longstreet to attack as soon as they got into Confederate lines but their attack was slow and it gave the Union a chance to counter attack and prepare. This showed how strong the union was and how much they wanted to win giving the confederates slim to no chance of winning. “During the Civil War, America experienced three bloody days unlike any others in its history. The Battle of Gettysburg left 51,000 Union and Confederate soldiers dead, maimed or missing. Explore seven ways that Gettysburg changed the course of the Civil War—and the history of America itself.” (
The Ending
Revisit the nature of first reason: this battle is considered the most important battle of the U.S. Civil War. Revisit the nature of second reason: In the decades following the battle, it became a symbol of reconciliation due to all the lives that were lost in just a short three days. Revisit the nature of third reason: This battle was the turning point of the Civil War. The battle of Gettysburg is known as a very significant battle because northern forces turned away the confederates from advancing. The battleground is seen as the symbol of reconciliation.