How Lincoln Won With The Battle Of Antietam
The Battle of Antietam, one of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, occurred on September 17, 1862, and became the seminal turning point in the Civil War both for the Union and for the Confederate States. Despite the historical tactical inconclusive state of the battle, President Lincoln skewed Antietam as a Union victory and used the resulting boost in public morale to make the Emancipation Proclamation. Of course, this victory was in spite of General McClellan’s inability, due to overly cautious tactics, to crush completely General Lee’s army. The Battle of Antietam also squelched any chance of foreign support and aid for the Confederacy.
Following the battle, President Lincoln urged McClellan to pursue and to engage Lee’s army. McClellan hesitated and Lee was able to move his army back to Virginia. Still, Antietam ended Lee’s Maryland Campaign and his push to bring the war into the northern states. The perceived victory enabled Lincoln to pronounce the Emancipation Proclamation, which would take effect on January 1, 1863, and would declare all slaves in rebel states to be free. Due to this historic proclamation, England and France could not sponsor or aid a country that condoned slavery, so that all attempts for foreign aid then ended for the Confederacy.
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