The Battle at Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation

1. The Battle at Antietam and the Emancipation Proclamation

2. Lincoln’s Army • For a year and a half the war was not going well for Lincoln and the Union Army. • Lincoln feared that Northern support for the war was decreasing. The American people thought the war would be won quickly….over a year later the Union had lost every major battle to the Confederacy. The war was also becoming costly. • One of Lincoln’s biggest frustrations was trying to find a general for his army that could lead it properly. In late 1861 Lincoln placed George McClellan in charge of the Union army hoping he would make the difference. • McClellan was great at preparing for battles, but moved incredibly slow and made terrible decisions during battles. “Little Mac” or “Little Napoleon”-Lincoln stated McClellan “had a case of the slows.”

3. A Shift in the War • Lincoln’s philosophy about why the war was being fought gradually changed. Instead of the war being fought over the unityof the country it shifts to war over slavery. • He hoped that this change will help revitalize the Northern opinion about the war. • Lincoln wrote his draft of the Emancipation Proclamation in June 1862 and presented it to is cabinet in July. He was advised not to issue it until the North beat the South in a major battle. He will wait need to wait until September.

4. Lee Moves North • Union General McClellan is defeated by Confederate General Robert E. Lee in March of 1862 near Richmond, VA. • After this Confederate victory Lee decided for the first time to take his troops into Union territory. • Lee believed that a Confederate victory on Union soil will help him gain the support of Great Britain and force the Union to give up their fight.

5. The Battle at Antietam (Sharpsburg), Maryland • On September 17, 1862, Lee’s and McClellan’s armies meet near Sharpsburg, Maryland (near Antietam Creek). • This one day battle will be the bloodiest single day battle in American history.

6. Civil War-Freeing of Slaves • Although there is no real winner at Antietam, Lee is forced to retreat back into Virginia. • Tired of waiting, Lincoln uses the Union “victory” at Antietam to move forward with his Emancipation Proclamation. • On September 22, 1862 the proclamation is given, freeing slaves in the Southern states. • Although some are critical, Lincoln’s idea works. The Emancipation “freed” the slaves in the Confederate states and revitalizes Northern support for the war. • The war is far from over. After Antietam the South will continue to win a majority of battles on Southern soil until July of 1863.