It is known as the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil: the Battle of Gettysburg. It seemed that the battlefield was hungry and thirsty for blood. Entering with great momentum, the South lost. The Battle of Gettysburg lasted three full days until the North was finally victorious. This victory contributed to the North's running out of steam. This battle dealt a major blow to the Southern ego and pushed the Confederacy back South. This victory gave the North an offensive position in the war, won a major battle, gave the North hope, and proved that the North was capable of beating the South. In May 1863, General Robert E. Lee led his army in the invasion. from the north. By entering in large numbers, the Confederacy was doomed to win. The first battle was that of Chancellorsville. (“Gettysburg”) General Lee and his army claimed a resounding victory over the Union. The South grew in size with each battle. The morale of General Lee's men was good. Lee then led his army in the second stage of the invasion: the Gettysburg Campaign. ("Gettysburg") Lee intended to source supplies, like shoes, from the farmlands of Pennsylvania. General Robert E. Lee was to threaten Northern cities and win a major battle in the North. This would scare the people of the North. On the other side, Northern General Joseph Hooker received an order. Abraham Lincoln ordered him to move his army in pursuit of General Lee and his men. Three days later, General Joseph Hooker was replaced by General George Gordon Meade. Meade immediately moved his forces between DC and General Lee. When Lee found out about General Mead's decision, he made his own. He stopped dead in his tracks and focused all his efforts... middle of paper ... waging an offensive war, gave the North hope, they won a major battle and proved that the North could win battles. For all these reasons, the Battle of Gettysburg undoubtedly constitutes the turning point of the American Civil War. Works Cited “American Civil War.” Turning points. About.com. Military history. NP, and Web. April 6, 2014. Ashby, Ruth. Chronicles of the Civil War. Gettysburg. North Makato: Smart Apple Media. 2001. “Gettysburg” Council on Foreign Relations. Council on Foreign Relations and Web. April 5, 2014.King C., David. The Battle of Gettysburg.Levin E., Jack and Mark R. Levin. “Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, Illustrated.” New York: Threshold Editions, 2010. Print. American Civil War. Turning points. Unenlightened states. National Park Service. “Battle Summary: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.” National Park Service United States Department of the Interior, nd Web. March 20. 2014.