GETTYSBURG NATIONAL MILITARY PARK

The Battle of Gettysburg marked a radical turning point in the Civil War (1861-1865). The United States (also called the Union and bringing together the northern states), led by Abraham Lincoln, and the confederate states of America (the southern states), led by Jefferson Davis, fought for four years. The Union brings together the abolitionist states, under the aegis of the Republican Party, which oppose the expansion of slavery; the south, where fields and plantations flourish, wants to keep slavery. The Confederation declared secession in 1860, when Abraham Lincoln, whose opinion was very favorable to the abolition of slavery, was elected. Pennsylvania is one of the 25 states of the Union that remain faithful to Lincoln and the Constitution.

For 4 years, there are fierce fighting against the forces of the Union. Often as the last of the great napol-style wars before the arrival of modern twentieth-century wars, the conflict is a succession of deadly land battles. The war broke out in April 1861, when the Confederate army attacked the Union in North Carolina. Taken by General Robert E. Lee, she won many victories, going back to the north. In June 1863, General Lee developed an ambitious invasion of the North, which must pass through Gettysburg. But the Union's army, led by General George G. Meade, will furiously fight for three days. There are 71 000 soldiers on the Unionist side and 94 000 soldiers on the confederate side.

The battle began in the early morning of June 1. The first thing is that General Lee and the Unionist army are forced to retreat into the southern part of Gettysburg. On the second day, General Meade managed to regain the upper hand when the assaults imagined by Lee's lieutenants, deprived of his best strategist on his way to Gettysburg, led to vinegar and caused numerous losses in the Sudist camp. Unable to blow the enemy down, General Lee decided, during the third day of clashes, to launch his infantry reserves in a frontal attack against the opposing camp: this famous charge by General Pickett sees 12 500 confederate soldiers progressing undetected under the fire of Union guns and guns. Pickett's load is seen as a major strategic error that spurred the battle of Gettysburg. The army of the Union manages to dismiss the Sudist army. This victory then marks the fall of Confederation towards the South and gives hope to the Unionists. The confederate troops are demoralized and General Lee will no longer attempt to invade the North.

The war will last two years, but Gettysburg is finally printed in minds like the first great victory of the North. In November 1863, a few months later, Abraham Lincoln returned to the land to make a mythical speech, known as Gettysburg Address, dedicated to this battlefield and paying tribute to the many victims of this bloody battle. With 51,000 dead soldiers, including 28,000 of the confederate side, the battle of Gettysburg was the deadliest of the conflict. It is anchored in the American collective memory and its battlefield is visited by tens of thousands of tourists every year. The war, bloody, lasts 4 years and makes 630,000 deaths. The so-called open wound will give rise to healing, and marks a major turning point in the political history of the United States, which then takes the path of a strong union that has persisted until today.

Museum and Visitor Center. Come first by the Visitor Center to obtain a map, as well as an explanatory brochure of the park's various points of interest. To get a full experience of Gettysburg Battlefield, we recommend visiting the museum. First of all, there is an excellent documentary that tells the three days of battle, then we go through Cyclorama, a circular painting of the French Paul Philippoteaux, reintroducing Pickett's Charge, one of the key moments of the battle. Finally, we visit the museum, which details very interactive each step of the battle, the strategies of the two armies, the historical context and the consequences of the northern victory on the future of the United States.

Battlefield. Follow the battlefield you can explore by bike, car or bus if you want to take part in a guided tour. The map you've recovered at the Visitor Center has sixteen points of interest across the park, the last being the Soldiers' National Cemetery, where 3,500 Civil War soldiers were buried and Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address. At the third point, Oak Ridge, you will find a panoramic tower at the top of which you will have an excellent overview of the scope of the battlefield. Further, the view is also clear and impressive from the top round top rocks, fiercely defended by the Union. The circuit is very well designed, you can choose whether to stop or not. Count between 2 a. m. and 3 a. m.