Magee 1Many people are led to believe that the Battle of Gettysburg was the most important battle of the Civil War; However, it can be argued that the most crucial battle of the war was the Battle of Antietam for three very important reasons. This showed the Northerners that they had a chance of winning the war; it showed Europeans that Northerners could win the war and it allowed Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation as well. The Battle of Antietam took place in Antietam, Maryland on September 17, 1862. It was the bloodiest day in American history. until D-Day of World War II, with 3,650 killed, 17,300 wounded and 1,770 missing or captured. The Union army, numbering 75,500, was led by General George Brinton McClellan. The 38,000-strong Confederate army was led by General Robert E. Lee. It is difficult to imagine such a high number of victims in a single day. The first reason why Antietam is such an important battle is that early in the Civil War, from 1861 to 1863, the South won the majority of battles, creating the idea of ​​victory seemingly unattainable for the North. However, the Battle of Antietam showed the North that it could indeed win the war. This is why the Battle of Antietam was considered a turning point in the Civil War. Confederate victories early in the war were numerous. Here are some of their victories: Battle of Fort Sumter, Battle of Big Bethel, Battle of Cole Camp, Battle of Carthage, Battle of Blackburn's Ford, First Battle of Bull Run, and Battle of Dry Wood Creek (Weaver). . As you can imagine, all of these Confederate victories were a direct blow to Union confidence. They were just hanging on when the Battle of Antietam came at a time when the government and federal government were working to free slaves in the rebel states. This excluded border states and Union-controlled Confederate States. They were exempt because they were not in rebellion against the United States. Border states were states that had not declared their secession from the Union. These states also maintained slavery even after the enactment of the Emancipation Act. Border states included Delaware, Kentucky, Missouri, and Maryland. The proclamation authorized blacks and slaves to serve in the U.S. military. Over the next two and a half years, 180,000 of them fought in the Union Army and 10,000 in the Navy. They made an enormous contribution to the Union victory as well as their own freedom. The Emancipation Proclamation greatly increased the intensity of the war. From then on, the war would be seen as a new birth of freedom (Emancipation Proclamation).