The Battle of Antietam took place on September 17, 1862.

This pivotal confrontation during the American Civil War is notable for being the bloodiest single-day battle in U.S. history, with around 22,000 soldiers killed or wounded. Fought near Sharpsburg, Maryland, it marked a significant turning point in the war. The battle concluded with no clear victor but halted General Robert E. Lee's advance into the North. Following this engagement, President Abraham Lincoln seized the opportunity to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, reshaping the war's objectives to include the abolition of slavery as a key goal.