Arnold F. answered 04/26/19
20 Yrs. Teaching History. Be prepared for the Regents or AP Exam!
There were several pivotal points int he Civil War. The Battle of Gettysburg was perhaps one of the most important. The defeat of General Lee and the Confederate army marked the beginning of the end for the Confederacy.
President Lincoln's went to the battle site in Pennsylvania to give a speech to dedicate a cemetery after the Union victory. The speech both summarized the significance of the battle, the sacrifice of the soldiers. It also coupled it with a restatement of the reasons why the United States of America was founded. A nation dedicated to idea of both democracy and liberty.