Antietam: Bloodiest Day in American History

The strategic circumstances that led to the Maryland Campaign of 1862 reflected the complex military and political pressures facing both the Union and Confederate governments as the war entered its second year. For the Confederacy, the string of victories achieved by Lee's army in Virginia during the Seven Days Battles and Second Bull Run had created an opportunity to carry the war into Union territory, potentially gaining international recognition while relieving the pressure on war-torn Virginia. Lee understood that Confederate independence would ultimately depend on breaking Northern will to continue the war, and an invasion of Maryland offered the possibility of achieving decisive political results that might not be attainable through defensive operations alone.