Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation

The Battle of Antietam or also known as Sharpsburg was one of the most gory battles. On the first day alone, with 22,000 combined casualties it became the bloodiest day of the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee lead the Confederacy and advanced his troops into Maryland. The Union was expected to crush the South because they not only had a 2-1 solider ratio, but also they had a copy of the battle plan. With the help of Joseph Hooker and Ambrose Burnside the North finally managed to repel the attempt of invasion from the Confederacy. However, Confederate generals, James Longstreet and Stonewall Jackson put up quite a fight. Additionally, since the Union technically won this battle European countries refused to aid the South. With this "win" Abraham Lincoln, the president was able to introduce the Emancipation Proclamation. Slaves were freed in rebel states, but slaves in border states were not freed. Since the Confederacy refused to oblige by this law the freedom of the slaves was depended on Union victory. The Emancipation Proclamation had two effects on the war. Now the Northern soldiers were fighting for equality, they had a moral reason to win the war. Moreover, black soldiers were allowed to fight in the war to help the North. He issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, beginning the third year of war.

Pictures:
1.http://www.npr.org/2012/09/15/160797217/antietam-death-studies-changed-how-we-saw-war
2.http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam.html
3.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam