1. Three Turning Points of the Civil War

2. Pattern of the War From the beginning of the war, a pattern emerges. The Confederates have most of their success in the Eastern Theater (Virginia and areas located on the eastern seaboard). They won the First Battle of Bull Run (or Manasses) and the Seven Days Battle. They are protecting Richmond. The Union has most of its success in the Western Theater (area around the Mississippi River). They have won the Battles at Fort Donelson and Fort Henry, along with the Battle of New Orleans and the Battle of Shiloh. They are slowly taking control of the Mississippi River.

3. Lincoln’s Problem Since the Confederates are winning the battles nearest Washington, many people are under the impression the CSA is winning the war. Lincoln cannot get the Army of the Potomac to defeat the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia (especially after Robert E. Lee took over during the Seven Days Battle) Lincoln replaces several Generals, but cannot seem to find the right man for the job. Gen. George B. McClellan seems to be the man, since he builds a great army, but he is too cautious and Lee takes advantage of this. By the Second Battle of Bull Run (Manassas), the Army of the Potomac is once again reeling after another victory by Lee’s army. Lincoln turns to McClellan again.

4. Battle of Antietam At this point, General Lee decided to take a gamble. His Army of Northern Virginia invaded the US in order to: 1. win a battle in the US and put pressure on the government to let the South be independent 2. show Europe that the CSA has a chance to win the war and hopefully get official recognition 3. get food for his army The US is able to win the battle, thanks in part to an amazing stroke of luck. Gen. McClellan knows Lee’s plans.

5. Antietam (cont.) The US victory led President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation said that all slaves in the states in rebellion are free. This is important because it will make the people of Europe think the war was about SLAVERY, so they would not join the war on the side of the CSA.

6. After the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln replaced McClellan with Gen. Burnside. Burnside has his army almost destroyed by Lee at the Battle of Fredericksburg. Next, Lincoln places Gen. Joseph Hooker in charge of the Army of the Potomac. Hooker has a very good plan to defeat Lee, but Lee turns the tables on him and defeats him with a much smaller force at the Battle of Chancellorsville. Unfortunately for Lee and the Confederates, Gen. Stonewall Jackson is killed at this battle. Meanwhile, the Union Army is still having success in the Western theater. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant is winning battles and has put Vicksburg, Mississippi in danger of being put under siege. Vicksburg is one of the last Confederate strongholds on the Mississippi river.

7. Battle of Gettysburg After winning the Battle of Chancellorsville, Lee decided to invade the US again. His reasons were the same as when he fought at Antietam. Get food for his army Win a battle in the North and put pressure on the people of the US to call for a negotiation. Get official recognition from a European government for the Confederacy. Lee marched his army into Pennsylvania and ended up fighting a battle at Gettysburg against the Army of the Potomac led by Gen. George Meade.

8. Once again, Lee loses this battle. This was a much worse defeat, and after Pickett’s charge, which ended the battle, Lee’s army was never the same again. On July 4, 1863, Lee’s army retreated back into Virginia. The Army of Northern Virginia would never invade the USA again and they would spend the remainder of the war in a defensive mode.

9. Vicksburg The city of Vicksburg was the last point controlled by the CSA on the Mississippi River. On July 4, 1863, the city surrendered to a US army led by Gen. Ulysses S. Grant. The US now had total control of the Mississippi River, cutting the CSA in half.