What were the major turning points in the civil war an why?

Answer 1

I believe that Gettysburg was one of the biggest turning points. It was the highwater mark of the Confederacy. The fall of Vicksburg was another major point. It split the Southern states in two, and limited the resupply of the southeastern states from the west.

Answer 2

Key Military turning points were the battles of Gettysberg and Antietam because they halted the confederate's advance and destroyed their moral. The Battle of Antietam launched the key political turning point, the Emancipation Proclamation

Answer 3

The largest turning points happened in the same week: The Confederate armies failed at Gettysburg and suffered such heavy losses that they never again could sustain a major offensive. Vicksburg surrendered and allowed the Mississippi River to become a Union supply route. These two simultaneous victories ensured that European powers would not recognize the Confederate independence.

Answer 4

Lots of people today would say the Battle of Gettysburg, which was fought July 1-3, 1863, and the fall of Vicksburg, Mississippi to Union troops the day after Gettysburg ended, on July 4, 1863. But that is actually hindsight. At the time, Gettysburg was not seen as a pivotal event, the "high water mark" of the Confederacy. Vicksburg (and the fall of Port Hudson, Louisiana a week after) opened the Mississippi River to Union ships down its entire length, and split the Confederacy in two, isolating Texas, Arkansas, and part of Louisiana west of that River from the rest of the Confederacy. This cut the eastern part of the Confederacy off from its best sources of beef and horses. This was seen at the time as a much more serious problem than the Battle of Gettysburg. The war eventually ended because the Rebels gave up. In looking back in the books many of them wrote, the real turning point was the reelection of Lincoln in November, 1864. When Lincoln was reelected the south knew he would continue to prosecute the war until they were beaten. In August 1864, Lincoln thought he would lose the election in November. His opponent would stop the war, meaning the south would "win" and remain an independent, separate nation, if that happened. What turned things around for Lincoln was the capture of Atlanta, Georgia, by General Sherman, on September 1, 1864. So the fall of Atlanta, followed two months later by the reelection of Lincoln were the real turning points in the minds of the Rebels, convincing them they could not win, and that it was pointless to continue.

Answer 5

Lincoln's re-election was the most important political event, as he was adamant about not letting the Confederate states seceed, while the Battle of Vicksburg split the Confederacy. The Union blockade of the southern ports was successfull in starving the South of vital munitions and medicine.

Answer 6

Lincoln's reelection was the key political event as he was adamant on keeping the Union together, while the Battle of Vicksburg split the Confederacy. The Union blockade of the southern ports was equally important, as it starved the Confederacy of needed munitions from Europe.