The Battle of Antietam: A Civil War Watershed?

The battle of Antietam shows up on almost all lists of Civil War turning points. The bloodiest single day in United States history, with more than 23,000 casualties, it also afforded Abraham Lincoln the opportunity to issue his preliminary proclamation of emancipation. This lecture will examine reactions to the battle in the United States and the Confederacy—looking at both military and civilian witnesses to explore how contemporary and retrospective assessments of historical events often diverge.