Where the Civil War turned — three days in July 1863 that changed America forever
Gettysburg is the site of the bloodiest battle of the American Civil War (July 1–3, 1863) and one of the world's most significant military history sites. The battlefield is remarkably intact — 1,328 monuments mark where regiments fought across fields and ridges still recognizable from period photographs. Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address here four months after the battle. The National Military Park with its museum and cyclorama is America's finest Civil War memorial.
The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1–3, 1863) resulted in approximately 51,000 casualties and ended the Confederacy's last major offensive into Union territory — a decisive turning point after which the South never again mounted a serious invasion. On November 19, 1863, Lincoln consecrated the new soldiers' cemetery with a two-minute address that has become the defining statement of American democratic ideals. The town itself was largely spared during the battle and preserves much of its 1860s character.