1. Assassination of Abraham Lincoln: On April 14, 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C. He died the following day, April 15, 1865. Lincoln's assassination came just days after the Confederate army surrendered, marking a significant turning point in American history.
2. Surrender of Confederate General Robert E. Lee: On April 9, 1865, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This event marked the effective end of the Civil War, although some Confederate forces continued to resist until June 1865.
3. End of Slavery: The ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution in December 1865 officially abolished slavery in the United States. However, the process of emancipation had begun earlier during the Civil War, and significant progress had been made by April 1865.
4. Reconstruction Begins: The end of the Civil War and the abolition of slavery ushered in the Reconstruction Era, a period of significant social, economic, and political change in the United States. Reconstruction aimed to rebuild the South, reintegrate former Confederate states into the Union, and address the rights and status of freed slaves.
5. Birth of African American Civil Rights Movement: The Civil War and its aftermath played a crucial role in the birth of the African American civil rights movement. The abolition of slavery and the promise of equal rights sparked efforts to secure civil and political rights for African Americans, which would continue to be a central struggle for many years to come.