In July 1863, the quiet town of Gettysburg became the site of one of the most decisive clashes of the American Civil War. Over three intense days, Union and Confederate forces fought across fields, hills and ridges in a battle that helped shape the future of the United States. To tell us this story, we're joined by Jonathan Bratten, a historian and serving Major in the Maine National Guard. 0:00 Introduction 1:53 The 1863 Campaign: Lee’s Political Gamble 5:12 Numbers and Logistics: Comparing the Two Armies 8:40 Morale and the Myth of Confederate Superiority 11:33 Why Gettysburg? The Accidental Crossroads 15:57 Day One: The Brutal Struggle for the Ridge 24:36 Industrial Lethality: The Reality of 19th Century Combat 35:02 The Tactical Situation: Night of July 1st 41:47 Day Two: Dan Sickles and the Battle for the Flanks 57:07 Day Three: The Forgotten Union Offensive & Pickett’s Charge 1:10:12 The Aftermath: Vicksburg, Retreat, and Legacy Produced by Mariana Des Forges, James Hickmann, and McKenna Fernandez, & the channel manager is Vilde Øksnes. You can find more Dan Snow's History Hit on the audio podcast here: https://podfollow.com/dan-snows-history-hit/view Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #DanSnowsHistoryHit #HistoryPodcast #AmericanHistory