What is the most important battle in American history?

The two most often named are Saratoga in 1777, which brought France into the Revolution and made independence possible, and Gettysburg in 1863, the turning point of the Civil War. For the Second World War, Midway in 1942 turned the Pacific.

What was the bloodiest battle in American history?

Gettysburg in July 1863 caused the most casualties of any battle fought on American soil, roughly fifty thousand over three days. Antietam holds a grimmer record: the single bloodiest day in American history, with about twenty-three thousand casualties on 17 September 1862.

What was the turning point of the American Civil War?

Gettysburg in July 1863, where Lee's second invasion of the North was broken. Paired with the fall of Vicksburg the next day, it marked the point after which the Confederacy never regained the initiative.

What was the turning point of the war in the Pacific?

Midway in June 1942. In a single day the US Navy sank four Japanese carriers and ended the run of Japanese expansion that had begun at Pearl Harbor.

What was the turning point of the American Revolution?

The Battle of Saratoga in 1777, an American victory that convinced France to enter the war on the rebels' side, which proved decisive.

Has the United States ever been invaded?

Rarely on the mainland. The most serious case was the War of 1812, when British troops burned Washington in 1814; the great American battles have mostly been fought abroad or in civil war.

The Greatest Battles in American History: a guide

At a glance
	Battle	Date	Forces	Casualties
1	Saratoga	1777	~22,000	-
2	Fort Sumter	April 1861	~3,085	-
3	Antietam	1862	~125,000	~22,700
4	Gettysburg	1863	~164,000	~51,000
5	Midway	1942	~50,000	~3,460
6	Normandy (D-Day)	6 Jun 1944	~156,000	~10,000
7	The Bulge	1944 to 1945	~1,000,000	~180,000

A nation can be read through its battles. These are seven of the greatest battles in American history, from the Revolution that created the country to the world war that confirmed it as a power, each told in full and set on the real ground where it was fought. Argue the ranking all you like, then read the battles and decide. Every one is a full story a click away.

Saratoga, 1777. The turning point of the American Revolution. A British army was surrounded and forced to surrender, and the victory persuaded France to enter the war on the American side, which changed everything. Read the story of Saratoga ›

Painting of a British general offering his sword to an American general before tents and troops — General John Burgoyne surrenders to General Horatio Gates after Saratoga in October 1777. Painting by John Trumbull, 1821, in the US Capitol Rotunda. Public domain

Fort Sumter, April 1861. The bombardment of a harbor fort in Charleston was almost bloodless, and yet it opened the deadliest war in American history. Read the story of Fort Sumter ›

Antietam, 1862. The single bloodiest day in American history, and enough of a Union check on Lee's first invasion of the North to give Lincoln the moment he needed for the Emancipation Proclamation. Read the story of Antietam ›

Photograph of Lincoln and McClellan seated at a table inside an open army tent — President Abraham Lincoln and General George McClellan in McClellan's tent at Antietam on 3 October 1862, photographed by Alexander Gardner. Public domain

Gettysburg, 1863. Three days in Pennsylvania that broke Lee's second invasion and marked the high-water mark of the Confederacy, the turning point of the Civil War. Read the story of Gettysburg ›

Midway, 1942. Six months after Pearl Harbor, the US Navy sank four Japanese carriers in a single day and turned the Pacific war for good. Read the story of Midway ›

Two American dive bombers flying over a burning warship far below — US Navy SBD Dauntless dive bombers over the burning Japanese cruiser Mikuma on 6 June 1942, the last day of the Battle of Midway. US Navy photograph. Public domain

Normandy, 1944. The largest seaborne invasion ever attempted put Allied armies back into Western Europe and began the drive that would end the war. Read the story of D-Day ›

The Bulge, 1944 to 1945. Germany's last great offensive in the West struck through the Ardennes in winter and was broken by American troops holding the line, most famously at Bastogne. Read the story of the Bulge ›

Map of the Ardennes showing the German bulge pushing west towards the Meuse — The German offensive in the Ardennes, 16 to 26 December 1944: the Allied front line before the attack and the deepest German penetration, with Bastogne inside the bulge. US Army map. Public domain

Want the wider view? These battles sit inside the full sweep of the greatest battles of all time, and you can meet the leaders behind them in the greatest military commanders in history or rank the fighting by its human cost in the deadliest battles in history.

The battles that shaped America

From the fight for independence to the world wars, a handful of battles have defined the United States. Saratoga secured the Revolution, Gettysburg turned the Civil War, and Normandy and the Bulge marked America's decisive role in the Second World War. Each is a hinge on which the nation's story turned.

Read each battle in full below, or set them beside the world's decisive clashes in the greatest battles of all time.

The Greatest Battles in American History

The battles that shaped America

Frequently asked questions

Live the battles