What determined the outcome of the Battle of Antietam?
The reason why Antietam is significant in the course of the Civil War is because it was the bloodiest single-day battle of the civil war. How geography impacted the outcome of this battle is the terrain. The terrain is flat and there is no trees and no cover for the enemy so they couldn't hide so they all got killed.
What were the main events at the Battle of Antietam?
Antietam Timeline. Three day Battle of Second Manassas or Second Bull Run, VA begins. CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg leads the Army of the Tennessee North from Chattanooga, TN. Union Gen. John Pope's Army of Virginia defeated at Second Manassas, begins withdrawal toward Washington, D.C. Battle of Chantilly or 0x Hill, VA; Pope's rearguard attacked in ...
Why was Antietam a turning point?
The battle of Antietam was the fundamental “turning point” in the war for three major reasons. First, the media attention the battle received changed the morale of the people drastically. Secondly, until this point, the war had not had a certain victor which was causing European countries to be indecisive as to if they should give support to Confederacy.
What is the summary of the Battle of Antietam?
Battle Of Antietam Summary: The Battle of Antietam, a.k.a. Battle of Sharpsburg, resulted in not only the bloodiest day of the American Civil War, but the bloodiest single day in all of American history. Fought primarily on September 17, 1862, between the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, and Antietam Creek, it ended Gen. Robert E. Lee’s first ...
Why was the Emancipation Proclamation issued after the Battle of Antietam?
In a display of his political genius, President Lincoln shrewdly justified the Emancipation Proclamation as a “fit and necessary war measure” in order to cripple the Confederacy's use of slaves in the war effort.
What did the Battle of Antietam and the resulting Emancipation Proclamation accomplish?
President Abraham Lincoln used the Union victory at Antietam to make his Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. The final version of the proclamation was signed and went into effect on January 1, 1863, thus allowing African Americans to fight as part of the Union and eventual win the Civil War.
How did the Battle of Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation change the course of the Civil War?
Military historians consider the Battle of Antietam a stalemate. Even so, the Union claimed victory. And keeping Confederates in their southern box enabled President Lincoln to finally release his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862.
How did the win at the Battle of Antietam lead to emancipation?
Antietam, the deadliest one-day battle in American military history, showed that the Union could stand against the Confederate army in the Eastern theater. It also gave President Abraham Lincoln the confidence to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation at a moment of strength rather than desperation.
Why is the Battle of Antietam so significant?
Most importantly, Union victory at Antietam provided President Abraham Lincoln the opportunity he had wanted to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, making the Battle of Antietam one of the key turning points of the American Civil War.
What was significant about the Emancipation Proclamation?
The Emancipation Proclamation was the necessary legislation that gave slaves their opportunity to free life in the United States. It was the culminating act of many arguments and papers by abolitionists. It was an endearing proclamation by President Lincoln to free slaves. The oppression caused by servitude was lifted.
How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the reason for the war?
From the first days of the Civil War, enslaved people had acted to secure their own liberty. The Emancipation Proclamation confirmed their insistence that the war for the Union must become a war for freedom. It added moral force to the Union cause and strengthened the Union both militarily and politically.
What are some important facts about the Battle of Antietam?
Facts About the Battle of Antietam The Union had around 87,000 soldiers, while the Confederates had only 38,000. Around 3,500 soldiers were killed and 17,000 wounded. The battle was named by the Union after the nearby creek called Antietam. It was called the Battle of Sharpsburg by the South.
What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam quizlet?
- the battle of antietam led Lincoln to issue Emancipation Proclamation, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared "that all persons held as slaves" within the rebellious states "are, and henceforward shall be free."
Which statement best describes the result of the Battle of Antietam?
Which statement best describes the result of the Battle of Antietam? Neither side won, but it was a victory for the South.
What was a result of the Battle of Antietam quizlet?
Fought on September 17, 1862, Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history with over 23,000 casualties (men listed as killed, wounded, captured or missing) in roughly 12 hours. The battle ended the Confederate invasion of Maryland in 1862 and resulted in a Union victory.
What was the outcome of the Battle of Antietam and what effect did it have on the north and south?
The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest one-day battle of the Civil War, with over 25,000 casualties total. It was a Union victory, which raised the confidence of Union troops. After a long winning streak, the Confederate troops lost and were forced back south, dampening the spirits of the southern army.
What was the result of the Battle of Antietam apex?
Antietam was the bloodiest single-day battle in American history, and the Union victory there led to the Emancipation Proclamation.
What are some important facts about the Battle of Antietam?
Facts About the Battle of Antietam The Union had around 87,000 soldiers, while the Confederates had only 38,000. Around 3,500 soldiers were killed and 17,000 wounded. The battle was named by the Union after the nearby creek called Antietam. It was called the Battle of Sharpsburg by the South.
What was the significance of the abolition of slavery in 1862?
In July 1862, the president was authorized by the Congress to allow African Americans fight in the Union and revealed the important contribution of abolition of slavery to a victorious war. These events frighten more the Southerners who were worried not only about the loss of the slaves, but also about a possible slave’s extensive rebellion, ...
Why were wartime policies related to slavery important?
War time policies related to slavery issues, were important because they contributed to the African American efforts leading to the emancipation process. Keene, Jenifer D.; Saul Cornell; Edward D. O’Donnell. Visions of America: A History of the United States, 2 nd Boston: Pearson Education, Inc., 2013 (p. 398-427) READ:
What was Lincoln's military policy?
Military policy of Lincoln expressed in his brief formulation had amended the significance of the conflict— this was the judgment of many radicals and abolitionists that frighten the fact the only the slaves in the seceded states were freed.
What were the traits of the Civil War?
The Civil War’s traits made many historians consider it as the first modern war; definition related to the technologies used, the communication between armies and civil population improved through telegraph, railroads made possible transport of people and supplies, navy could improve strategies using ironclad ships , massacre caused by sophisticated weapons (artillery, rifled muskets); however, the most pronounced modern trait was the accentuation on destroying the enemy’s army and the disposition to cause hardship in the civilian population and together with it, slavery was an important element that framed this war.
What was the purpose of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850?
This policy was demonstrated and used as a smart war tactic by Lincoln’s administration to cause carnage in the South.
What did the Northerners think of the war?
The Northerners came to understanding that the war was more than the restoration of the Union, as claimed previously by so known moderate Lincoln and the reunion could be achieved after the destruction of the slavery-based economy of the Southern States.
When did Lincoln present his intention to his cabinet?
Lincoln made present his intention to his cabinet on July 1862, but to ward off his act appearing as a desperate one, he was looking for a victory of the Union Army to release his decree and the Battle of Antietam in Maryland gave him the needed victory .
What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam?
The Significance of the Battle of Antietam. There was a lot at stake for the Battle of Antietam. By mid-summer 1862, President Abraham Lincoln had the Emancipation Proclamation —a document declaring freedom for all slaves in the so-called rebellious states—ready to go. But after several unexpected and demoralizing Union losses, ...
Where was the Battle of Antietam?
Contents. The Battle of Antietam, also called the Battle of Sharpsburg, occurred on September 17, 1862, at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland. It pitted Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia against Union General George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac and was the culmination of Lee’s attempt to invade the north.
Why did the Republicans hold the House in 1862?
The Union’s claim of victory at Antietam and Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation are thought to be why Republicans held the House in the 1862 mid-term elections. They also ended any hope of France and Great Britain acknowledging the Confederacy and coming to their aid.
How many Confederates outnumbered Union forces?
They watched and waited as McClellan’s army assembled along the creek’s east side. Union forces outnumbered Confederates by two to one, although McClellan thought Lee’s forces were much larger.
What changed the course of the Civil War?
Not only did the Battle of Antietam change the course of the Civil War, it also brought to light the horror of war in a way never seen before, thanks to photographer Alexander Gardner’s dramatic battlefield photographs.
What was Lee's plan for the Maryland Campaign?
His plan to enter northern territory divided his army, sending each unit to march on a specific town: Boonsboro and Hagerstown in Maryland, and Harper’s Ferry and Martinsburg in West Virginia.
Why did Lee move his army?
He immediately moved his army in hopes of foiling Lee’s battle plans. And when Lee heard a copy of Special Order 191 was missing, he knew his scattered army was vulnerable and rushed to reunite its units.
How did the Emancipation Proclamation affect the South?
The South was thus deprived of desperately needed labor to till fields, build forts and fix railroads.# N#The Emancipation Proclamation also paved the way for the enlistment of black Americans as soldiers. During the summer of 1862, as Lincoln pondered emancipation, the North was facing a shortage of soldiers. Lincoln even offered volunteers enlistments for only nine months instead of the usual three years, hoping that a shorter enlistment would attract more recruits. One solution: enlist black Americans, whether free men from the North or freed slaves from the South.#N#Despite deep and widespread prejudice, the Union began recruiting black Americans in earnest in early 1863. Believed to be physically and spiritually unfit as fighting men, they were initially confined to non-combat jobs. However, African American soldiers proved their mettle on the battlefield. They distinguished themselves in May 1863 when they bravely attacked Port Hudson across open ground on the Mississippi River in Louisiana. A month later, black troops made another valiant charge when they stormed Fort Wagner near Charleston, S.C. This famous attack was depicted in the movie "Glory."#N#About 186,000 African Americans served in the Union army, making up about nine percent of Federal forces. The North's advantage in military manpower was a critical factor in its victory in the Civil War. Some northerners supported Lincoln's measure on moral grounds. But many endorsed emancipation because they favored any action that would help defeat the enemy and end the war.
What was the purpose of the Emancipation Proclamation?
Emancipation Proclamation, January 1, 1863. The proclamation reflected Lincoln's new way of thinking about the conflict. Until this time, it was seen as a rebellion, a fight to preserve the Union without touching slavery. Now Lincoln was threatening to crush the Confederacy by destroying slavery, the basis of its economy and society.
Why did Lincoln offer volunteers enlistment for only nine months instead of the usual three years?
Lincoln even offered volunteers enlistments for only nine months instead of the usual three years, hoping that a shorter enlistment would attract more recruits.
What states did Lincoln exempt from the Emancipation Proclamation?
But Lincoln was beholden to the Union border states of Maryland, Kentucky and Missouri, where some slave owners were loyal Union men. Lincoln was afraid to seize their private property (their slaves) and lose those states to the Confederacy, so he exempted them from his Emancipation Proclamation.
What was the name of the document that changed the war?
Five days after the battle, armed with pen and paper, Abraham Lincoln changed the war when he issued the Emancipation Proclamation. "...all persons held as slaves within any State...the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free.". Emancipation Proclamation , January 1, 1863.
When did the slaves get free?
Official legal freedom for the slaves came in December 1865 with the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which abolished slavery.
How many African Americans served in the Union Army?
This famous attack was depicted in the movie "Glory.". About 186,000 African Americans served in the Union army, making up about nine percent of Federal forces.
Who ordered the Army of the Potomac to destroy the rebels?
Lincoln had ordered the risk-averse commander of the Army of the Potomac to “destroy the rebel army if possible” at Antietam. McClellan, with twice the manpower and the enemy pinned against the Potomac, had numerous opportunities to do so but held back.
What was the only campaign McClellan would mount for the duration of the war?
The only campaign McClellan would mount for the duration of the war was as the losing Democratic presidential candidate in 1864. His defeat prompted one Union officer to snidely remark that McClellan met “with no better success as a politician than as a general.”.
What was the bloodiest day of the Civil War?
1. Antietam enabled the Union to repel the first Confederate invasion of the North. A tide of momentum swept Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia—fresh from a successful summer campaign and victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run—onto Union soil ...
When did McClellan allow retreat?
On September 18, rather than pressing the fight against Lee’s badly decimated forces, McClellan allowed their retreat while writing to his wife: “Those in whose judgment I rely tell me that I fought the battle splendidly & that it was a masterpiece of art.”.
When did Lincoln declare the time has come?
“I think the time has come now,” the president declared to his cabinet on September 22, 1862, five days after the battle.
Did Antietam save Lincoln?
The battle may have saved Lincoln from a resounding defeat in midterm elections. With just weeks until critical midterm elections, Antietam provided Lincoln and his fellow Republicans with not just a military boost, but a badly needed political one as well.
The Significance of The Battle of Antietam
Setting The Stage For Battle
- After Lee thwarted the plan of General George B. McClellan to lay siege to Richmond—the capital of the Confederate States of America—in the Peninsula Campaign in the spring and summer of 1862, McClellan retreated. Hoping to take advantage of the Union’s low morale and seeming ineptitude, Lee chose to push his army north across the Potomac and into Marylandwhere they s…
Special Order 191
- After the Confederates abandoned their campsite around Frederick, McClellan’s army moved in. What happened next was pivotal: On September 13, two Union soldiers, Private Barton W. Mitchell and Sergeant John M. Bloss, discovered a copy of Special Order 191 with detailed Confederate troop movements, allegedly wrapped around three cigars. Upon learning of the valuable find, an …
Battle of Antietam Begins
- The Battle of Antietam began at dawn on September 17 as the fog lifted. Longstreet’s and Hill’s units formed the Confederate right and center flanks to the west of Antietam Creek, while Jackson’s and Brigadier General John G. Walker’s units formed the Confederate left flank. All of Lee’s troops were worn-out and hungry, and many were sick. They watched and waited as McCle…
Bloody Lane
- Near the center of the battlefield, another site of slaughter was a farm lane known as the “Sunken Road,” where Hill’s division of approximately 2,600 men had piled fence rails along the road’s embankment to fortify their position against Union Major General William H. French’s 5,500 approaching troops. When French’s troops arrived, fighting ensued at close range. Three hours l…
Battle of Antietam Ends
- As night fell, thousands of bodies littered the sprawling Antietam battlefield and both sides regrouped and claimed their dead and wounded. Just twelve hours of intense and often close-range fighting with muskets and cannons had resulted in around 23,000 casualties, including an estimated 3,650 dead. The next day, as Lee began the painstaking job of moving his ravaged tro…
Union Claims Victory
- Military historians consider the Battle of Antietam a stalemate. Even so, the Union claimed victory. And keeping Confederates in their southern box enabled President Lincoln to finally release his Emancipation Proclamation on September 22, 1862. Ironically, Lincoln’s proclamation didn’t free slaves in Maryland—one of a handful of slave states that had remained in the Union—since it onl…