2001-12-23 - 1:52 p.m. hey guys. not much going on. trying to pass the time away. oh well. i remembered that i had promised to upload my gettysburg paper on here, so i am. i am going to put up, part 01, its like one third of the paper. i would rather put it up in parts. ---------------------------------------- Part 01- The Battle of Gettysburg ---------------------------------------- The Battle of Gettysburg In America’s history, the American people have taken an active role in the many battles where both men and women of all ages and races have given their lives for the institution we know as freedom. Even today as a war fought overseas and within this country is unfolding, the fight for our beliefs and the rights of all people is being put to the test. Over the course of our history, America has seen its share of battles fought on this continent and across the globe. But the fight for basic rights has come at a drastic cost. Thousands upon thousands of American citizens, both innocent and guilty, have willingly given their lives in the ongoing fight for freedom. The American Revolution, which took place from 1775-1781, began the long and ongoing fight for our rights as people of the United States of America. However, the greatest internal struggle that took place in America would be demonstrated during the four year American Civil War. The American Civil War (1861-1865) was a conflict, which ripped the Northern States of the American Union against the Southern Confederate states. The four-year war left on history some of the fiercest military campaigns in modern history. Entire populations in the form of large armies became engaged in supporting the war, not just for the Northern States, but also for the Southern States. The war not only had its internal impact on America, but the American Civil War also threatened, internationally, the world’s access to the south’s cotton. To this day, historians continue to argue over the causes and effects of the American Civil War. Few have looked at the war in the world context. Some believe that it is rather an example of Western Hemisphere conflict during the nineteenth century. These conflicts helped bring about new political alignments to South America, as well as unification of Canada. However, regardless of the endless debating over the causes and effects of the American Civil War, the main effects were felt within the United States. Another way to view the war itself was that it was effective in bringing about American unification, forging a modern nation and bringing about vast social and economic changes. One thing many historians agree with is the turning point in the American Civil War. The battle of Gettysburg, fought July 1 through July 3, 1863 is seen as the turning point of the American Civil War. The battle of Gettysburg was a decisive engagement that arrested the Confederate’s second and final major invasion of the Northern States. The invasion of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania obliterated the South’s offensive strategy, causing the southern states to fight from Gettysburg on a defensive war. After an important victory for the Confederacy at the Battle of Chancellorsville (May 2 to May 4, 1863), Lee divided his army into three corps. Three lieutenant generals, James Longstreet, Richard Stoddert Ewell and Ambrose Powell Hill, commanded these corps. While General Ulysses S. Grant made his way toward Vicksburg, Lee made the decision to march his troops north toward Pennsylvania after dividing the army. Lee’s plans were to dodge another federal offensive in Virginia, planning to fight only if he could find a way to get the Northern Army into a vulnerable position. Lee also hoped that an invasion and a decisive victory in the North would increase Northern war-weariness, causing the North to distinguish the existence and independence of the Confederate States of America. The Confederate government hoped that a decisive victory on northern territory would win foreign acknowledgement of the Confederate States of America. Also, Lee argued that an invasion of the wealthiest Northern urban area would lessen the Confederate forces pressure deep in the Tennessee valley and at Vicksburg. The most important factor, however, for the movement toward Gettysburg was the availability of food, clothing, and supplies located in the lush Cumberland Valley for the starving and ragged Confederate troops. ----------------------------------------End of Part 01 later....
|
|