What was the ultimate outcome of the Battle of Antietam?

The Battle of Antietam, fought on September 17, 1862, is recognized as a significant turning point in the American Civil War. The ultimate outcome was that Union forces successfully halted the Confederate Army's advance into the North. This battle marked one of the bloodiest single-day encounters in American history, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides.

While the Union forces did not achieve a decisive victory that led to the capture of the Confederate army, General George McClellan's ability to stop Robert E. Lee's invasion was crucial. This outcome provided President Abraham Lincoln with the political leverage to announce the Emancipation Proclamation, which aimed to weaken the Confederacy by freeing enslaved people in rebel-held territories.

By halting the Confederate advance, the Union gained a strategic advantage and boosted Northern morale, proving that the Confederate forces could be defeated in battle on Union territory. This development changed the dynamics of the Civil War significantly, as it shifted the focus of the war efforts toward liberation and the preservation of the Union.