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Vicksburg and Gettysburg happened at the same time. Both were union victories however Gettysburg is seen as the turning point in the war. They were really both turning points in the war in their own ways. Gettysburg was a major battle over a period on days. It was one of the bloodiest battles of the war. Many casualties occurred but harm extended further than just that. The confederacy’s loss badly damaged their moral and ended their plans to take northern territory; they were no longer considered as much as a threat to the north. They also lost any hopes of European recondition of the confederacy and lending aid in their favor. The battle of Gettysburg was a major turning point in the war; its significance is its harm in multiple ways to the south.
While the battle of Gettysburg was going on there was also a battle in Vicksburg. It too held major significance in the war. The union won by southern surrender damaging the South's morale. But perhaps the biggest significance of the battle was its strategic location. With the union now controlling the area along with port Hudson the north now had control of the Mississippi river. This took away a major transportation route for the south. It also cut off one side of the south from the other. This is a devastating loss for the south. Cutting a major part of the south off from another holds as much weight as the southern loss in Gettysburg too. “The fall of Vicksburg, conjointly with the Gettysburg success, is regarded as the turning point in the war.”-New York Times July 8th 1863 |