A Battle of Immense Magnitude
The Battle of Gettysburg represented the turning point of the war as it established the North’s strategic advantage and military power over the Confederate states. The Battle started on July 1, 1863, and commenced three days of intense fighting between the Confederate and Union forces. The conflict was caused because Robert E. Lee planned on invading the North and bumped into Union armies along his route. His proposition was to break through several defences leading towards the North, followed by surrounding Northern Virginia in an attempt to conquer it. To Lee’s dismay, his forces were defeated by Meade’s Potomac Army and he was left with no other option but to retreat back to Virginia. The Union’s decisive victory at the Battle of Gettysburg was a result of Meade, who cemented the end of the war in their favor and crafted the future of the United States in regards to the emancipation of slaves, and the formation of the United States as we know it today.