How did the battle of Antietam impact the Civil War?
The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, was the first major battle of the American Civil War to take place on Union soil. Union forces under the command of General George McClellan clashed with Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia just outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland. Although there was no clear victory achieved by either side, the battle’s aftermath drastically altered the course of the war.
Turning Point of the Battle
Within the first hour of combat, the bloodiest in American history, nearly 12,000 Union and 10,000 Confederate soldiers lost their lives. The two-hour battle resulted in the worst single-day casualties in Army history, with a staggering tally of 22,625 total casualties.
Yet, despite the sheer destructive power of the fighting, the battle was inconclusive regarding the war’s trajectory (see Table 1).
| Metric | |
|---|---|
| Attacking Forces | |
| Attacking Union | 65,000 |
| Counter-Attacking Union | |
| Confederate | |
| Engaged Units | 94,000 |
| Belligerents |
To understand the impact of Antietam on the Civil War, consider following factors:
President Abolition of Emancipation Proclamation
Despite the lack of victory and the heavy losses on September 17th 1862, Lincoln could not afford to overlook strategic opportunities. Lincoln perceived Robert E. Lee’s aggressive push into Union territory had forced his hand; thereby, on January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued His Emancipation Proclamation. **Effectivity of this document? Exempting certain Southern places and persons. Lincoln claimed the Emancipation act to free approximately three-to-four million slaves.
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• To further support his political backing, the Battle became a decisive factor to grant the Republicans an extraordinary two-thirds majority needed in House Senate. That two-thirds majority guaranteed future Congresses to authorize War-Finance bills. A bill passed August 1882, ensuring War-Finance through June – 1883 to assist the North. After President Lincoln issued Emancipation Proclamation in late April 1863
, Abolishing institution of slavery became fundamental point of American Reconstruction Era Legislation.
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Cease hostilities, Union gain foothold in South**
Upon receiving news of Lincoln Emancipation Proclamation to Confederate states in March 1863-, Confederate leaders knew **a prolonged **fight) * **War* will probably be less *bear for them, while Southern secession, ultimately resulted due toLousiana With The War at it’s
**most crucial stages by Summer 1863
