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A Nation Divided Bringing the Battle North Converging on Gettysburg Manuevering for Position Lee's Echelon Attack A Final Attempt The Aftermath Teacher's Section

A NATION DIVIDED
STATE OF THE UNION

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord;
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored:
He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah,
Glory, glory, hallelujah,
Glory, glory, hallelujah,
His soul goes marching on.
Abraham Lincoln

During late spring, what remained of the United States of America was plagued by draft riots and an antiwar movement. In New York city as well as many other cities, numerous people were killed in riots. People protested against laws which allowed the rich to escape the draft. Those with money could hire substitutes for the war. Left to fight and die for the politically and financially powerful were the poor masses. These included many immigrants. Many immigrants didn't want to go fight the war because they feared competition finding jobs with emancipated slaves.

In the battlefields, the Union was losing. The Union feared more defeats would lead to foreign countries supporting the Confederacy.