washington, d. c. was the city that was site of the single bloodiest day in american history.
washington, d. c. was the city that was site of the single bloodiest day in american history.
the city that was site of the single bloodiest day in american history?
washington, d. c.
the first fatalities of the war happened during the baltimore civil war riots of thursday/friday, april 18 - 19th, 1861, and a year and a half later with the single bloodiest day of combat in american military history occurred during the first major confederate invasion of the north in the maryland campaign, just north above the potomac river, near sharpsburg, maryland, (washington county) at the battle of antietam, on 17 september 1862. preceded by the pivotal skirmishes at three mountain passes of crampton, fox and turner's gaps to the east in the battle of south mountain, antietam (also known in the south as the battle of sharpsburg), though tactically a draw, was strategically enough of a union victory in the second year of the war to give 16th president abraham lincoln the opportunity to issue in september 1862, the emancipation proclamation, taking effect january 1st, 1863, which declared slaves in the rebelling states of the confederacy (but not those in the areas already occupied by the union army or in semi-loyal border slave states like maryland, delaware, kentucky, and missouri) to be "henceforth and forever free".
maryland in the american civil war
in august, lee fought the second battle of bull run (second manassas) and defeated john pope's army of virginia. pope was dismissed from command and his army merged with mcclellan's. the confederates then invaded maryland, hoping to obtain european recognition and an end to the war. the two armies met at antietam on september 17. this was the single bloodiest day in american history. the union victory allowed abraham lincoln to issue the emancipation proclamation, which declared that all slaves in states still in rebellion as of january 1, 1863 were freed. this did not actually end slavery, but it served to give a meaningful cause to the war and prevented any possibility of european intervention.
history of the united states (1849–1865)