We Were There at the Battle of Gettysburg

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Did you know that it was a three-day battle that turned the tide from a Confederacy victory of the Civil War into a Union one?

Fought from July 1st to July 3rd, 1863, this was probably the most important battle of the American Civil War. The Confederates had just defeated the Union Army in Chancellorsville, VA when General Lee marched his army into Pennsylvania, invading the northern states. They met with General Meade’s men (Union) at a crossroads in Gettysburg, and fighting began!

During Lee’s march northward, he learned that the Union Army was on its way, and decided to assemble the Confederates in Gettysburg. His men scoured the town for supplies in preparation for battle, but found few. In the night, Union troops arrived and fortified areas around Little Round Top and Cemetery Ridge.

The next day, Lee decided to attack the Union Army from two directions, splitting the Confederate Army. There was fierce fighting on both Cemetery and Seminary Ridge, and the day ended with extremely heavy losses. Over the first two days, 35,000 men had died, and the battle was not over yet.

In the early morning hours of July 3rd, after a long night of firefight, the Union Army regained its position. General Lee, confident from the previous day’s victories, sent approximately 15,000 of his Confederate troops in a march across open fields to attack the Union – this was Pickett’s Charge, and it did not end well for the Confederate soldiers.

After three days of battle, Lee marched his men back toward Virginia. More than 52,000 men (total) had lost their lives in Gettysburg, and it was a crushing defeat for the Confederacy. Lee offered to resign, but President Jefferson Davis insisted he remain a general. The battle, however, turned the tides of the Civil War….

Our spine novel is We Were There at the Battle of Gettysburg

Access the complete unit in the 'We Were There' Novel Studies Bundle!

Includes THIRTY-SIX unit studies covering World & American History. Each unit addresses a new topic, spanning the the ancient world through post-WW2.  Each unit has introductory text, which will give the student basic background information about the topic at hand.

• There are photographs and illustrations, and we have also included primary documents when available.
• After this text, there are featured videos, which augment the background information and help make the topic more accessible for more visual students.
• You will also find a short list of reading books, including a featured novel that the unit builds upon.
• There are vocabulary words, places, and people to identify.
• Reading comprehension, critical thinking questions, and writing assignments are included.
• We add fun with hands-on activities and extra videos to watch that will bring the era to life.

These studies are directed toward upper grades students, but some have resources for younger students so that the whole family can work together. Our family has used unit studies as curriculum for many years, and we hope that your family will enjoy these, too!

Product Samples:

• We Were There with Richard the Lionhearted in the Crusades
• We Were There with Byrd at the South Pole
• We Were There at the Opening of the Atomic Era