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Gettysburg Dbq Essay

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The Civil War is arguably the bloodiest war to happen on United States soil; there were approximately 620,000 casualties, which was 2% of the population in 1860. Of the 50 major battles that occurred in the Civil War, the battle at Gettysburg was undoubtedly one of the most important. The battle at Gettysburg turned the tables of the entire war because the Confederacy lost their winning streak, suffered many casualties, and were forced to move the fighting back to southern soil. Despite being outnumbered by the Union, General Robert E. Lee and the Confederates managed to come out on top of every battle. This definitely boosted the confidence that the Confederate soldiers had; they felt unbeatable. The Confederacy won the First and Second Battles at Bull Run, and the battles at Shiloh and Chancellorsville. …show more content…

Because of this, Lee wanted to use Gettysburg to bring the fighting up to northern soil to prove that the Confederacy could win in the north. While this was a good thought, this backfired because he gave the Union home court advantage; they were more familiar with the land. Gettysburg was the farthest north battle fought in the Civil War (Document A). This showed that the Confederate loss was detrimental enough to send them back to the south with their tails between their legs. After the Battle of Gettysburg, in a letter to the president of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis, Lee attempted to resign: “I therefore, in all sincerity, request Your Excellency to take measures to supply my place” (Document C). Lee was discouraged by the loss to the point that he no longer wished to lead the Confederate soldiers. Although President Davis did not accept Lee’s request to resign, this was an amazing example of how the battle chipped away at the South’s confidence. How was the Confederate army supposed to keep their morale if their general’s faith in himself was in

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