Why was it so important for the Union army to defeat the Confederate army at the Battle of Gettysburg?

Answer 1

Until that point the confederate army seemed to be winning the war. The loss at Gettysburg not only demoralized the confederate army, it decimated it's supplies and personnel. * for Britain to help the confederates win the war the British wanted to see them win on union soil and when that didn't happen the British didn't help supply the confederates * the union wanted to pass something to help the slaves be freed if they won the war to give motive to the north that several people would be passionate about not to mention giving blacks a reason to fight with the north and sabotage the south. this formed the all black groups in the army helping turn the war into the north's favor

Answer 2

If the Army of Northern Virginia had defeated the Union's Army of the Potomac at the Battle of Gettysburg, it would have been a major setback for the Union cause. General Lee would have had the opportunity to resume his march on Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and embarrass the Union on its own territory. Depending on the level of the Union defeat, Lee would have had the chance to perhaps capture the important port city of Baltimore. A union defeat would have strengthened the Northern peace movement as well. Also, the Confederate army would have placed great pressure on Washington DC, if it had beaten the Union's Army of the Potomac. Although the Union's victory at Gettysburg was a great influence on the outcome of the war, it was not the determining factor of the Rebel's defeat. On the other hand, a Southern victory at Gettysburg might well have been the determining factor of the Union's decision to cease its war operations against the South. Based on the actual question, the answers are speculative but not without a reasonable set of evidence.