What was the short-term impact of the Battle of Gettysburg?

At Gettysburg, the South hoped to shift the general battleground and begin the end phase of the war. Until that point almost all of the battles had taken place in the South, and the South had won almost all of them. Indeed, the Army of Virginia (Southern forces under Lee) was at it's peak of strength and prowess. read more

In my opinion, no better speech was ever uttered in the history of the United States. That was the long term impact of the Battle of Gettysburg. All the rest was historic detail of a long and bloody struggle for 2 more years but Gettysburg was more than just a battle. read more

Short-term impacts would include severe losses, a Union victory that would continue to dissuade Great Britian and France from entering the war on the Confederate side, and leave Lincoln to continue to look for a general that could defeat the Army of Northern Virginia. read more