18.4 The War in the East (pt. 2) pp. 578-580

Objective: Explain why Gettysburg was a turning point.

A. African American Soldiers (p. 578) The Emancipation Proclamation announced Lincoln’s decision to permit African Americans to join the Union army. About 200,000 African Americans served in the Union army and navy. The 54th Massachusetts was the best-known African American regiment.

A scene from GLORY, a 1989 movie about the 54th Massachusetts Regiment

B. Fredericksburg & Chancellorsville (pp. 578-579) In late 1862 a new Union general, Ambrose Burnside, suffered a crushing defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Burnside’s replacement, General Joseph Hooker, was defeated by Robert E. Lee’s Rebels in May of 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Chancellorsville was Lee’s greatest victory, but it is also where he lost his best general, Stonewall Jackson, who was mortally wounded by friendly fire.

Dead Mississippians, Fredericksburg, Va., 1863

C. Gettysburg (p. 579) Lee’s victory at Chancellorsville encouraged him to invade the North a second time. Crossing into Pennsylvania, Lee’s army made contact with the Union army. For three days—July 1-3, 1863—the two sides fought each other in the largest battle ever in the Western Hemisphere—the Battle of Gettysburg.

D. Pickett’s Charge (p. 580) The climax of the Battle of Gettysburg came on the final day with Pickett’s Charge, a disastrous frontal assault against the fortified Union center. The University Grays (of Ole Miss) reached deeper into Union lines than any other regiment (but sustained 100% casualties). Gettysburg was a victory for the North and a turning point of the war. Never again would the Confederacy be strong enough to seriously threaten the Union.

Gettysburg Address

E. The Gettysburg Address (p. 580) The combined casualties of Gettysburg were about 55,000. Extremely unsanitary conditions and hastily-buried bodies in and around Gettysburg led residents to establish a new cemetery for the community. In November 1863, Lincoln was invited to speak at its dedication. In the Gettysburg Address, Lincoln made clear that Union soldiers had died giving the nation a “new birth of freedom.”

Review: What was the most famous African American regiment in the Union army? How was Robert E. Lee’s victory at Chancellorsville a costly one? What was the largest battle ever fought in the Western Hemisphere? Why was Gettysburg considered a turning point of the war? What did Lincoln make clear in his Gettysburg Address?