As an european I have been pondering this for a while now. Granted, in school we are not taught much about the U.S. Civil War since it doesn't concern us. But pretty much everyone has heard of Gettysburg, some way or the other. I hear Gettysburg mentioned in some context at least once a year.
I understand that it was a decisive battle that ended the Confederate hopes of invading the North. But really what other kind of strategic significance did it have? Yeah a lot of people died and it dealt a moral blow to the South. But Lee escaped with his army and survived to fight for another 2 years or something.
In Vicksburg, on the other hand, Union took control of the Mississippi River and effectively cut the Confederacy in two. Strategically a hugely more significant victory.
Are the reasons mostly just that Gettysburg is more action packed than Vicksburg? Or is it because of the locale with Gettysburg on Northern soil and Vicksburg deep in the south?
Edit: SIEGE of Vicksburg (silly me)
I think you're onto something with the "action-packed" part.
First thing I'd point out is that I rarely have heard it called "The Battle of Vicksburg," instead it is usually called the "Siege of Vicksburg."
Sieges are not at all as glamourous. The day to day grueling misery of a seige doesn't have the connatative "glory" that plays well in books, movies, etc. Gettysburgh, Antietam, Shiloh. These battles ring much more in our ears today than Vicksburg or the other long sieges of the war.
Saying that the Vicksburg campaign was much more important is a fair argument. And it's a fascinating campaign, where Grant ended up going on a bender briefly.
Another casue might be that the victors tell the story. Antietam and Gettysburg are big battles in the American culute because they were the end of the two major campagins to counter-attack into Union territory. Even if these had succeded, it most likely wouldn't have stopped the Union. They just had too much manpower and resources, but the threat loomed large in our imaginations well after the war ended.