The Battle of Gettysburg

The Emancipation Proclamation gave slaves the chance to escape North and join the Union army. This just added to the Confederacy's growing problems. The slaves and supplies were dwindling, and every battle meant more southern losses. General Robert E. Lee, after his loss at Antietam, knew that his army was growing weaker and weaker, and needed support. For the second time (the first being Antietam), Lee set out to invade the North and gain recognition from England, and maybe even end the war by gaining peace with the Union. The two armies met each other at the city of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and their was an extreme bloodbath. Collectively, 50,00 lives were lost. For 3 days, Lee attempted to break the strong fishhook formation of General Meade's Union army, but to no avail. This battle raised the confidence of the North, and caused Lee to almost resign. The Confederacy lost about 1/3 of it's army (28,000), did not gain England's support, and is no longer the larger power in this war. Gettysburg was indeed a turning point, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, spoken 5 months after the battle, has become one of the most well-known speeches of the Civil War.

The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the war.
Image From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg