Battle of Antietam, 1862
Name: ____________________
Date: _____________________
Class: _____________________
Directions: Watch the video about the Battle of Antietam and answer the questions. As you watch the video the
teacher will stop the video in order to make sure each Discussion question is answered.
1. What month and year did the Battle of Antietam start?
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2. Where the main focus of the Battle of Antietam?
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3. What was at the end of the cornfield for the Union soldiers?
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4. Name two descriptions that people often used when referring to the American Civil War.
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5. During the first 8-9 hours of the Battle of Antietam, which side suffered the most causalities?
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Discussion Question
Why did the Union soldiers march through a cornfield side-by-side knowing they were going to face the Confederates
on the other end?
6. Robert E. Lee did not want to take his troops into Maryland. Where did he want to take his
troops?
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7. Robert E. Lee though the Union soldiers were going to leave Harper’s Ferry and defend
Pennsylvania instead. What did they end up doing?
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8. How many groups of troops did Robert E. Lee send to take over Harpers Ferry?
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9. As a General, what was George McClellan better at doing then leading a war?
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10. Why didn’t President Lincoln get rid of George McClellan as a military leader if he was always
too slow to start a war?
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Discussion Question
General George McClellan hard a difficult time trying to make a decision to start any Battle. Since McClellan had such a
difficult time making decisions, what did it give the Confederate army a chance to do?
11. Write down one word that describes the Battle of Antietam on the cornfield?
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12. Why was the Cornfield one of the worst places for a Battle to break out?
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13. What was the battle strategy during the Civil War?
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Discussion Question
Why do you think there were so many deaths during the Battle of Antietam?