The Battle of Antietam

Misha Glenny and guests discuss The Battle of Antietam, the single deadliest day of the American Civil War.

The battle took place on 17th September 1862, less than 100 miles from Washington D.C. The conflict had been going on for over a year, and there had been a string of successes by the rebel Confederate Army against Union forces. The Confederates were a group of Southern States that had seceded from the United States of America over their right to continue the institution of slavery.

This secession was rejected by US President Abraham Lincoln, who was committed to maintaining the Union.

Despite heavy Union casualties, Antietam has been called the ‘crossroads of freedom’ by historians. It played a crucial role in the release of the Emancipation Proclamation against slavery, which was described by Lincoln as ‘the great event of the 19th Century’.

With

Karen Salt

Professor of ¿¿Culture, Place and Communities at Manchester Metropolitan University

Susan-Mary Grant

Professor Emerita of American History at Newcastle University

Robert Cook, Emeritus Professor of American History at the University of Sussex.

In Our Time is a BBC Studios production

A world-class seminar every week. Spanning history, religion, culture, science and philosophy, In Our Time celebrates the pursuit of knowledge and the enduring power of ideas. In each episode, host Misha Glenny and expert guests explore the characters, events and discoveries that have shaped our world.