ID: Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse
When: April 9, 1865
Who:
- Confederate General Robert E. Lee: Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia
- Union General Ulysses S. Grant: Commander of the Union Army
What:
General Lee, facing overwhelming Union forces and a dwindling supply of men and resources, surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia to General Grant at the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia. This effectively ended the Confederate resistance in the American Civil War.
Impact: Why Significant?:
- End of the Civil War: The surrender marked the official end of the Civil War, a conflict that had ravaged the nation for four years.
- Preservation of the Union: The surrender secured the preservation of the United States as a single, unified nation, preventing the secession of the Southern states.
- Reconstruction Era: The surrender initiated the Reconstruction Era, a period of rebuilding and reintegration of the South back into the Union. This era was marked by significant social and political changes, including the passage of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments, which abolished slavery, granted citizenship to African Americans, and provided them the right to vote.
- Impact on Southern Society: The surrender led to the collapse of the Confederacy and the dismantling of the Southern social and economic system that was based on slavery. The defeat of the Confederacy also resulted in a profound shift in power dynamics within the United States, giving greater power to the federal government.