There is widespread disagreement over the turning point of the American Civil War. Though probably the most cited event in the American Civil War is the Battle of Gettysburg, there are other choices. The idea of a turning point is an event after which most observers would agree that the eventual outcome was inevitable. For example, in World War II, the Battle of Midway is generally cited as the turning point in the Pacific Theater because after that battle, the Japanese Empire changed from a strategic offensive posture to the strategic defensive. The Battle of Saratoga is widely recognized as the turning point of the American Revolution. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Lincoln, President Ulysses S. Grant, General Jefferson Davis, President Robert E. Lee, General Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America Commanders George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 93,921 71,699 Casualties 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured/missing) 22,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured/missing) The Battle of... Combatants Major Allied powers: United Kingdom Soviet Union United States Republic of China and others Major Axis powers: Nazi Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Harry Truman Chiang Kai-Shek Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tojo Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead... Combatants United States Empire of Japan Commanders Chester W. Nimitz, Frank J. Fletcher, Raymond A. Spruance Isoroku Yamamoto, Chuichi Nagumo, Tamon Yamaguchi † Strength 3 carriers, ~50 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft 4 carriers, 7 battleships, ~150 support ships, 248 carrier aircraft, 16 floatplanes Casualties 1 carrier... His Imperial Majesty, Emperor Akihito of Japan The Emperor of Japan (天皇, tennō) is Japans titular head of state and the head of the Japanese imperial family. ... Combatants British 9th/Hill, 20th/Lynd, 21st/ Hamilton, 62nd/Ansthruter, Simon Fraser Brunswick Major Generals V. Riedesel, 1st Brigade (Brunswickers) Brig. ... John Trumbulls Declaration of Independence, showing the five-man committee in charge of drafting the Declaration in 1776 as it presents its work to the Second Continental Congress The American Revolution was a political movement during the last half of the 18th century that resulted in the creation of...

A key factor is obviously the hindsight that reveals the endpoint and all the events that precede it. In most cases, contemporary observers may lack confidence in predicting a turning point. In the American Civil War, many of the turning points cited by historians would not have been recognized as such at the time. For example, Gettysburg was seen by military and civilian observers as a great battle, but those in the North had little idea that two more bloody years would be required to finish the war. Southern morale was not strongly affected by the defeat because many assumed that Robert E. Lee had suffered only a temporary setback and would resume his winning ways against ineffective Union generals. Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Lincoln, President Ulysses S. Grant, General Jefferson Davis, President Robert E. Lee, General Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action... Robert Edward Lee (January 19, 1807 – October 12, 1870) was a career U.S. Army officer and the most celebrated general of the Confederate forces during the American Civil War. ... The 21st Michigan Infantry, a company of Shermans veterans. ...

There are a number of arguable turning points in the war. Some possibilities are presented here in date sequence. Only the positive arguments for each are given.

Fort Sumter

The Confederate bombardment and capture of Union Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina was the turning point between an uneasy peace and armed hostility. It is conceivable that had this point not been crossed, the Confederacy may have merely drifted away from the Union over time, with President Abraham Lincoln unable to muster sufficient popular support and international neutrality to force them back. But after Sumter, further military action was inevitable. Motto: Deo Vindice (Latin: With God As Our Vindicator) Anthem: God Save the South (unofficial) Dixie (popular) The Bonnie Blue Flag (popular) Capital Montgomery (until 29 May 1861) Richmond (29 May 1861–2 April 1865) Danville (from 3 April 1865) Language(s) English (de facto) Government Confederate Republic President Jefferson... Fort Sumter, located in Charleston, South Carolina, harbor, was named after General Thomas Sumter. ... Nickname: The Holy City, The Palmetto City, Chucktown, The Port City, Charlie O The C-Port City Motto: Aedes Mores Juraque Curat (She cares for her temples, customs, and rights) Location of Charleston in South Carolina. ... Abraham Lincoln (February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865), sometimes called Abe Lincoln and nicknamed Honest Abe, the Rail Splitter, and the Great Emancipator, was an American politician who served as the 16th President of the United States (1861 to 1865), and the first president from the Republican Party. ...

Proponents of the bitter Lost Cause movement would consider this to be the point at which the war was lost, because the overwhelming industrial and manpower advantages the North possessed were unleashed. If the South had won the war, Fort Sumter may have also been considered the turning point, because Lincoln's call for 75,000 military volunteers was the proximate cause of four additional states joining the Confederacy. The Lost Cause was a movement that attempted to reconcile the Confederate States of Americas loss of the American Civil War. ...

Invasion of Kentucky

By mid-1861, eleven states had seceded, but four more slave-owning states remained in the Union—Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. Kentucky was considered the most at risk; the state legislature had declared neutrality in the dispute, which was a moderately pro-Confederate stance. The loss of Kentucky would have been catastrophic because of its control of the Tennessee and Ohio Rivers and its position from which the vital state of Ohio could be invaded. Lincoln wrote, "I think to lose Kentucky is nearly the same as to lose the whole game." This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) English[1] Capital Frankfort Largest city Louisville Area  Ranked 37th  - Total 40,444 sq mi (104,749 km²)  - Width 140 miles (225 km)  - Length 379 miles (610 km)  - % water 1. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Official language(s) None Capital Dover Largest city Wilmington Area  Ranked 49th  - Total 2,491 sq mi (6,452 km²)  - Width 30 miles (48 km)  - Length 100 miles (161 km)  - % water 21. ... A legislature is a type of representative deliberative assembly with the power to adopt laws. ... A riverboat passing under the Henley Street Bridge on the Tennessee River. ... The Ohio River is the largest tributary by volume of the Mississippi River. ... Official language(s) None Capital Columbus Largest city Columbus Largest metro area Cleveland Area  Ranked 34th  - Total 44,825 sq mi (116,096 km²)  - Width 220 miles (355 km)  - Length 220 miles (355 km)  - % water 8. ...

On September 3, 1861, Confederate General Leonidas Polk extended his defensive line north from Tennessee when Gideon Pillow occupied Columbus, Kentucky (in response to Ulysses S. Grant's occupation of Belmont, Missouri, directly across the Mississippi River). Polk followed that by moving through the Cumberland Gap and occupying parts of southeastern Kentucky. This violation of state neutrality enraged many of its citizens; the state legislature, overriding the veto of the governor, requested assistance from the federal government. Kentucky would never again be a safe area of operation for Confederate forces. Ironically, Polk's actions were not directed by the Confederate government. Thus, almost by accident, the Confederacy was placed at an enormous strategic disadvantage. Indeed, the early Union successes in the war's Western Theater (their only non-naval successes until 1863) are directly related to Polk's blunder. September 3 is the 246th day of the year (247th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Leonidas Polk, The Fighting Bishop Leonidas Polk (April 10, 1806 – June 14, 1864) was a Confederate general who was once a planter in Maury County, Tennessee, and a cousin of President James K. Polk. ... Official language(s) English Capital Nashville Largest city Memphis Largest metro area Nashville Area  Ranked 36th  - Total 42,169 sq mi (109,247 km²)  - Width 120 miles (195 km)  - Length 440 miles (710 km)  - % water 2. ... Gideon Johnson Pillow (June 8, 1806-October 8, 1878) was an American general. ... Columbus is a city located in Hickman County, Kentucky. ... Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant, April 27, 1822 – July 23, 1885) was an American general and politician who was elected as the 18th President of the United States (1869–1877). ... The Mississippi River, derived from the old Ojibwe word misi-ziibi meaning great river (gichi-ziibi big river at its headwaters), is the second-longest river in the United States; the longest is the Missouri River, which flows into the Mississippi. ... Cumberland Gap in winter The Cumberland Gap is a pass across the Cumberland Mountains region of the Appalachian Mountains, famous in American history for its role as the chief passageway through the mountains for early settlers. ...

First Bull Run

The Battle of First Bull Run, on July 21, 1861, was the first major land battle of the war. Until this time, the North was generally confident about its prospects for quickly crushing the rebellion with an easy, direct strike against the Confederate capital, Richmond, Virginia. The embarrassing rout of Maj. Gen. Irvin McDowell's army disabused them of this notion. The North was shocked and realized that this was going to be a lengthier, bloodier war than they had anticipated. It steeled their determination. Lincoln almost immediately signed legislation that increased the Army by 500,000 men and allowed for their term of service to be for the duration of the war. Congress quickly passed the Confiscation Act of 1861, which provided for freeing slaves whose masters participated in the rebellion, which was the first attempt to define the war legislatively as a matter of ending slavery. If the Confederacy had hoped before this that they could sap Northern determination and quietly slip away from the Union with a minor military investment, their victory at Bull Run destroyed those hopes. (The Confederacy did enjoy a small advantage when Lincoln used Bull Run as a reason to appoint the inept Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan as head of all the Union armies, but this advantage was fleeting.) First Battle of Bull Run Conflict American Civil War Date July 21, 1861 Place Fairfax County and Prince William County Result Confederate victory The First Battle of Bull Run, referred to as the First Battle of Manassas in the South, (July 21, 1861) was the first major land battle of... July 21 is the 202nd day (203rd in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 163 days remaining. ... Nickname: River City, Cap City, R-V-A Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) Area    - City 62. ... General Irvin McDowell Irvin McDowell (October 15, 1818 – May 4, 1885) was an American military officer, famous for his participation in the American Civil War. ... There are very few or no other articles that link to this one. ... George Brinton McClellan (December 3, 1826 – October 29, 1885) was a major general during the American Civil War. ...

Forts Henry and Donelson

The capture of Forts Henry and Donelson, and the Confederate surrender at the latter, were the first significant Union victories and the start of a mostly successful campaign in the Western Theater. Ulysses S. Grant completed both victories by February 16, 1862, and by doing so, opened the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers as Union supply lines and avenues of invasion to Tennessee, Mississippi, and eventually Georgia. This was the start of offensive actions by Grant that, with the sole exception of the Battle of Shiloh, would continue for the rest of the war. The loss of these rivers was a significant strategic defeat for the Confederacy and the beginning of the end in the vital Western Theater. The Battle of Fort Henry was fought February 6, 1862, in western Tennessee, during the American Civil War. ... The Battle of Fort Donelson was fought February 12–16, 1862 in the American Civil War. ... February 16 is the 47th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... The Cumberland River is an important waterway in the southern United States. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant Don Carlos Buell Albert Sidney Johnston† P.G.T. Beauregard Strength Army of West Tennessee (48,894) and Army of the Ohio (17,918) Army of Mississippi (44,699) Casualties 13,047 (1,754 killed, 8,408...

Antietam

The Battle of Antietam, September 17, 1862, was the bloodiest single day in American history. But it also had two strategic consequences. Although considered a tactical draw between the Army of the Potomac and the much smaller Army of Northern Virginia, it marked the end of Robert E. Lee's invasion of the North. One of his goals was to entice the slave-holding state of Maryland to join the Confederacy, or at least recruit a number of soldiers there. He failed in that objective. He also failed in marshaling Northern fears and opinions to pressure a settlement to the war. But more strategically, George B. McClellan's victory was just convincing enough that Lincoln used it as justification for announcing his Emancipation Proclamation; he had been counseled by his Cabinet to keep this action confidential until a Union battlefield victory could be announced. Otherwise, it might seem merely an act of desperation. Along with its immense effect on American history and race relations, the Emancipation Proclamation effectively prevented the British Empire from recognizing the Confederacy as a legitimate government. The British public had strong anti-slavery beliefs and would not have tolerated joining the side of a fight where slavery was now a prominent issue. Thus was removed one of the Confederacy's only hopes of surviving a lengthy war against the North's suffocating naval blockade. Support from France was still a possibility, but it never came to pass. Antietam and two other coincident failed actions—Braxton Bragg's invasion of Kentucky and Earl Van Dorn's advance against Corinth, Mississippi—represented the Confederacy's only attempt at coordinated strategic offensives in multiple theaters of war. Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders George B. McClellan Robert E. Lee Strength 87,000 45,000 Casualties 12,401 (2,108 killed, 9,540 wounded, 753 captured/missing) 10,316 (1,546 killed, 7,752 wounded, 1,018 captured/missing) The Battle of Antietam (also... September 17 is the 260th day of the year (261st in leap years). ... 1862 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... Generals Burnside, Hancock, Couch, Ferro, Patrick, Wilcox, Cochrane, Buford and others. ... The Army of Northern Virginia was the primary military force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War in the eastern theater. ... The Emancipation Proclamation The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive decree by U.S. President Abraham Lincoln during that countrys Civil War, which declared the freedom of all slaves in those areas of the rebellious Confederate States of America that had not already returned to Union control. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ... Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was a career U.S. Army officer and a general in the Confederate States Army, a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. ... Earl Van Dorn Earl Van Dorn (September 17, 1820 – May 7, 1863) was a Confederate Major General during the American Civil War. ... Corinth, or Korinth (Greek: Κόρινθος, Kórinthos; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is a Greek city-state, on the Isthmus of Corinth, the narrow stretch of land that joins the Peloponnesus to the mainland of Greece. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

Gettysburg and Vicksburg

On July 4, 1863, the Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi, Vicksburg, surrendered to Grant. The previous day, Maj. Gen. George Meade decisively defeated Robert E. Lee at Gettysburg. These twin events are the most often cited as the turning points of the war. For the United States holiday, the Fourth of July, see Independence Day (United States). ... 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders Ulysses S. Grant John C. Pemberton Strength Army of the Tennessee Army of Vicksburg Casualties 10,142 9,091 (30,000 paroled) The Battle of Vicksburg or Siege of Vicksburg was the final significant battle in the Vicksburg Campaign of... George Meade George Gordon Meade (December 31, 1815 – November 6, 1872) was a career U.S. Army officer and engineer involved in coastal construction. ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America Commanders George G. Meade Robert E. Lee Strength 93,921 71,699 Casualties 23,055 (3,155 killed, 14,531 wounded, 5,369 captured/missing) 22,231 (4,708 killed, 12,693 wounded, 5,830 captured/missing) The Battle of...

Vicksburg split the Confederacy almost in two, denying its control of the Mississippi River, and preventing supplies from Texas and Arkansas that could sustain the war effort from passing east. As Lincoln had stated, "See what a lot of land these fellows hold, of which Vicksburg is the key! The war can never be brought to a close until that key is in our pocket.... We can take all the northern ports of the Confederacy, and they can defy us from Vicksburg." And the 30,000 soldiers who surrendered with the city were a significant loss to the cause. Official language(s) See: Languages of Texas Capital Austin Largest city Houston Area  Ranked 2nd  - Total 268,581 sq mi (695,622 km²)  - Width 773 miles (1,244 km)  - Length 790 miles (1,270 km)  - % water 2. ... Official language(s) English Capital Little Rock Largest city Little Rock Area  Ranked 29th  - Total 53,179 sq mi (137,732 km²)  - Width 239 miles (385 km)  - Length 261 miles (420 km)  - % water 2. ...

Gettysburg was the first major defeat suffered by Lee. It repelled his second invasion of the North and inflicted serious casualties on the Army of Northern Virginia. In fact, the National Park Service marks the point at which Pickett's Charge collapsed—the Copse of Trees on Cemetery Ridge—as the High Water Mark of the Confederacy. From this point onward, Lee would attempt no more strategic offensives. Although two more years of fighting and a new, aggressive general (Grant) were required, the Army of the Potomac had the initiative and the eventual end at Appomattox Court House seems inevitable in hindsight. The National Park Service (NPS) is the United States federal agency that manages all National Parks, many National Monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations. ... McLean house, April 1865. ...

Chattanooga

Military historian J.F.C. Fuller contended that Grant's defeat of Braxton Bragg's army at Chattanooga was the turning point of the war because it reduced the Confederacy to the Atlantic Coast and opened the way for Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea.^[1] J.F.C. Fuller (September 1, 1878 – February 10, 1966), full name John Frederick Charles Fuller, was a British Major General, military historian and strategist, notable as an early theorist of modern armoured warfare, including categorising principles of warfare. ... Braxton Bragg Braxton Bragg (March 22, 1817 – September 27, 1876) was a career U.S. Army officer and a general in the Confederate States Army, a principal commander in the Western Theater of the American Civil War. ... The third Battle of Chattanooga (popularly known as The Battle of Chattanooga) was fought November 23–25, 1863, in the American Civil War. ... Palisades and chevaux-de-frise in front of the Potter House, Atlanta, Georgia, 1864. ... Engraving by Alexander Hay Ritchie depicting Shermans March Shermans March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign, conducted in late 1864 by Major General William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army during the American Civil War. ...

Atlanta

Some contend that the successful siege of Atlanta by the Union was the turning point, as the city was the most critical point in the South. This victory lifted the spirits of the North and helped re-elect Lincoln, in addition to its military result of crippling transportation in the heart of the Confederacy, and nearly destroying the city. This article is about the state capital of Georgia. ...

Election of 1864

The re-election of Abraham Lincoln in 1864 is beyond the final point at which a positive conclusion for the Confederacy could have been contemplated. His opponent, former general George B. McClellan, ran on a Democratic Party platform that favored a peaceful settlement with the Confederacy. (Although McClellan himself disavowed this platform plank, there is no doubt that the South would have seen his election as a strategic victory.) For anyone who believed that the military prowess of the South could still come up with a miracle set of victories and discourage the North to give up its quest, this was the final nail in the coffin. The Union would not relent until total victory was achieved. 1864 (MDCCCLXIV) was a leap year starting on Friday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Sunday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States; the other being the Republican Party. ...

Notes

1. ↑  Fuller was inconsistent in naming turning points. In his 1929 work The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant he cited three (p. 46): First Bull Run, which resulted in establishment of unity of command in the Union army; Fort Donelson, after which he considered Vicksburg and Atlanta (and presumably Chattanooga) to be inevitable; the fall of Wilmington, which he claimed led directly to Lee's surrender at Appomattox Court House.

Combatants United States of America Confederate States of America Commanders John M. Schofield Braxton Bragg Strength 12,000 6,000 Casualties 305 845 The Battle of Wilmington was fought February 11–22, 1865, during the American Civil War. ... McLean house, April 1865. ...

References

• Fuller, Maj. Gen. J. F. C., The Generalship of Ulysses S. Grant, Da Capo Press, 1929, ISBN 0-306-80450-6.
• Rawley, James A., Turning Points of the Civil War, University of Nebraska Press, 1966, ISBN 0-8032-8935-9.
• Unpublished remarks by Gary Gallagher and James M. McPherson, 2005 University of Virginia seminar: Great Battles and Turning Points of the Civil War.