7 St. 38 Min, 9 Apr 1865 Jahr - Lees surrender at Appomattox court house

Beschreibung:

After 4 years of Civil War, approximately 630,000 deaths and over 1 million casualties, General Robert E. Lee of the Confederate Army surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant of the Union Army effectively ending the war
Outcome: Union victory; Grant offered very generous surrender terms
Grant took no prisoners
Secured the ‘word or honor’ that released officers and men would not take up arms
Officers were permitted to keep their weapons and personal items
Everyone would be allowed to return home and not be bothered by the U.S. Authority so long as they kept their promise not to take up arms
Allowed the former Confederates to return home feeling that they had been treated with respect and were able to keep their dignity
The Significance of Lee’s surrender:
It ended the American Civil War
It began the process of reuniting the United States of America
It led to sweeping constitutional changes (the abolition of slavery)
It began a more powerful Federal Government (no more arguments over how much power the States and Federal Govt could have)