The battlefield near Gettysburg because of so many casualties later became a national memorial site, larger than any similar battlefield in the United States.
The Battle of Gettysburg, one of the most significant in U.S. history, began on July 1, 1863. It was the period of the American Civil War, which at that time was already in its third year of its existence. The Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the war, in which Southern General Robert E. Lee suffered a major defeat for the first time. That general had previously invaded the North (Union), and had he won at Gettysburg, it is questionable what the continuation of the American Civil War would have looked like.
The battle was named after the small town of Gettysburg in the US state of Pennsylvania, which at the time was part of the North. The presence of Lee’s southern forces in the area posed a strategic danger to the Northerners, as Gettysburg was located in the depths of northern territory, as far as about 100 miles north of their capital, Washington. General Lee at Gettysburg was opposed by Northern General George G. Meade, with about 100,000 troops. Lee’s forces were somewhat smaller, with 70,000 to 75,000 troops.
The battle lasted from July 1 to 3 and produced more casualties than any other battle from the American Civil War. The battlefield near Gettysburg because of so many casualties later became a national memorial site, larger than any similar battlefield in the United States. An incredible more than 1,300 monuments and memorials have been erected in the area, ranging from monumental sculptures to memorial plaques (even the site where the first shot was fired in that battle has been marked). At the inauguration of the memorial cemetery there, US President Abraham Lincoln gave a famous speech (Gettysburg Address), one of the most famous speeches in American history in general.
