Until that bloody afternoon—160 years ago today—the United States did not know if it would remain united, or be permanently divided into two.
Until the desperate Confederacy sent its troops uphill in Pennsylvania farmland in the face of withering fire, there was a possibility the South could win.
In a few hours, Gen. Robert E. Lee would decide to turn tail and retreat back south. More than 50,000 bodies lay in Gettysburg. New maps show the pathway to the slaughter—itself a route to a nation’s turbulent reunification.
The fatal charge: The map (above) shows the South’s disastrous frontal attack (in red) against entrenched Northern positions at Gettysburg. At top, a monument commemorates the North’s hilltop defenders. Read more.
All about Abe: They love America. They love the 16th president. There are so many Abraham Lincoln presenters and re-enactors that they get together for an annual convention (above). What’s it like being Honest Abe?
The odd King George III: Yes, his character was in Hamilton. Yes, he married Queen Charlotte. Pop-culture references aside, who was the British ruler who lost the colonies that became the United States? The polite word would be, um, multilayered, we find out. (A painting depicts colonists pulling down his statue in New York during the Revolutionary War.)
PHOTOGRAPH BY KHOLOOD EID, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION
Seeing America: Gardens, museums, a dude ranch, and Fourth of July parades. Here are some tips on things to see and do during this holiday week and beyond. (Above, a fly-fisher casts his line in Montana’s Rock Creek.)
Today’s soundtrack: You’ll Be Back, Jonathan Groff (from the musical Hamilton) Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, Nancy San Martín, and David Beard. Want to let us know your thoughts? Send away: david.beard@natgeo.com. Happy trails!
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