There was no general peace treaty that ended the American Civil War. The Confederate army of General Robert E. Lee surrendered to the Union army of General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia in April of 1865, effectively ending the war. However, smaller Confederate forces continued to surrender throughout the next several weeks. There was no formal peace treaty signed, but terms were reached under which the defeated Confederate troops were allowed to return home and the Union troops were to leave the Southern states. The end of the Civil War led to the abolition of slavery and the beginning of the Reconstruction era.