“America’s bloodiest clash, the sectional conflict of the Civil War pitted the Union against the Confederate States of America and resulted in the deaths of more than 620,000, with millions more injured.” (history.com).The Civil War was from 1861 to 1865. The war took place in the United States of America. The war was about the Southern states not agreeing with the Northern states on the issue of slavery. The South believed in slavery while the Union did not. After years of bloody and terrible battles, the Union won. The Civil War had many battles, but few held great importance. The battle of Antietam is important to view the battle plan and details, what happened during the battle, and why this battle was important.

First, it’s important to know the battle facts about Antietam. The Battle of Antietam happened at Antietam Creek in Maryland on September 17, 1862. The Union had 87,000 forces engaged while the Confederacy only had 45,000 soldiers. The Union army was lead by General George McClellan. He was an extremely cautious man, a bit too cautious. During this battle, he had a chance to beat the Confederacy but he was too cautious and didn’t attack for many days. “Had McClellan attacked the next day, he might have finished off Lee’s army. But this was McClellan, remember. McClellan held back which allowed the Confederate troops to cross the Potomac River and get back to Virginia.” (History & Geography) The Confederate General was Robert E. Lee and he was known for his odd attack plans that always seemed to work out. This was America’s bloodiest day in history.

Secondly, the Battle of Antietam was very intense and many people died. Four days before the battle, a Union soldier found a piece of paper floating down a river. Out of curiosity he caught it and opened it up. Inside were three cigarettes but the most important part was that the paper had an outline of General Robert E. Lee’s plan of attack. Lee wanted to defeat the Union on Union territory. His plan was to try to defeat them in Maryland, because the people of Maryland believed in the Confederacy’s cause. On September 17, the Union advanced first. “Union troops advanced into the Confederate lines by attacking near a church and cornfield. But the Rebels held together and streamed back across the field.” (Scholastic, 13). Next, McClellan hesitated, as the Confederacy troops were weak and the battle continued. Finally, the Union won the battle and Lee returned to Virginia.

Last, the Battle of Antietam was very important. This Union victory lead to the Emancipation Proclamation. Abraham Lincoln was waiting for something to happen that could boost the Union’s spirits, and this battle victory did it. The Emancipation Proclamation was a law that freed all slaves. “More significantly it changed the goal of war to one not only to preserve the Union but also to end slavery.” (Freedom: A History of the U.S.) It did not do anything during the war because the South wasn’t a part of the Union anyway. Lincoln made this law so that when the Union won, slavery would already be outlawed. The Battle of Antietam lead to ending of the war as it boosting many United State’s spirits.

In conclusion, the Battle of Antietam was very significant to the Civil War. The Civil War was a time when the United States changed for the better. Because of this war, slavery was outlawed forever. After the war, the United States was reunited and the South was very unhappy. The most important part was slaves were free.