The battle known as the “turning point” in the American Civil War is the Battle of Gettysburg. Fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, it marked a significant military victory for the Union and halted the advance of Confederate General Robert E. Lee into the North. The battle resulted in heavy casualties, with estimates of around 51,000 soldiers killed, wounded, or missing. Its outcome bolstered Northern morale and provided President Abraham Lincoln with the political leverage to issue the Emancipation Proclamation shortly thereafter, reshaping the war's purpose towards ending slavery as well as preserving the Union.