Final answer:
General Robert E. Lee fought the Battle of Antietam in an attempt to secure a significant Confederate victory on Union soil (Option 3), rather than to seek a direct New England route, rest, or break the blockade. This intense conflict remains the bloodiest single day in American history, leading to significant strategic consequences, including the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Lee crossed into Maryland and fought the Battle of Antietam because he wanted a victory on northern soil. This answer corresponds to Option 3: Victory on northern soil. The Confederate leadership, including Lee and President Jefferson Davis, sought to win a decisive victory on Union territory to hasten the end of the Civil War. The battle, occurring on September 17, 1862, stands as the bloodiest single day in American history, symbolizing the ferocity of the conflict. Lee's invasion into Maryland was not about seeking a direct route into New England, rest from battle, or breaking the Union blockade, but rather to gain a strategic victory that could influence international recognition and domestic morale.
The Battle of Antietam saw intense and fierce combat, with areas such as 'the Cornfield' turning into scenes of terrible slaughter. Regardless of being outnumbered, Lee boldly engaged his entire force in desperate fighting, and while the end result of the battle was tactically inconclusive, it strategically allowed President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, which shifted the war's focus and helped prevent European powers from recognizing the Confederacy. Both Lee's decision to take the fight to Union soil and McClellan's cautious tactics were pivotal factors in the unfolding of the Maryland campaign.