Gettysburg

Gettysburg- The Turning Point of the War
           The battle of Gettysburg was a very important event that influenced the outcome of the Civil War. Before this battle, Lee had many hopes when he invaded the North. His first hope was that if the Confederacy won the battle, it would force the North to call for peace. Another hope that Lee had was that the South would receive foreign intervention or aid, from European countries. Lee also thought that if the South won the battle of Gettysburg, it would completely destroy the Union army. Finally, General Lee hoped to capture a major northern city. He thought that this would make the North want to call for peace, because he would then have a strategic point from which he could launch attacks. However, the outcome of the battle was very different from what Lee had hoped. The Confederate troops were forced to retreat back to Virginia. This battle electrified the North, and united northerners. This was much like the Battle of Antietam, which also excited and brought together the North. Another outcome was that this battle showed that Lee's reputation of being invincible was not true. Furthermore, Lee offered his resignation but Jefferson Davis declined it. This major loss for the Confederacy also meant that the South would not get foreign recognition. In total, there were over 50,000 casualties, and one third of Lee's army was gone. The battle of Gettysburg was the turning point in the war.
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