What significant event marked the end of the Civil War?

The surrender at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865, is widely recognized as the event that marked the end of the Civil War. General Robert E. Lee's surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia to Union General Ulysses S. Grant signified not only a decisive defeat for the Confederate forces but also the impending conclusion of the war, as it was the largest and most significant Confederate army remaining in the field. This surrender initiated the process that led to similar surrenders across the South, ultimately culminating in the end of the conflict.

Contrastingly, the attack on Fort Sumter initiated the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg was a pivotal turning point midway through the war, and the Emancipation Proclamation was a landmark executive order that changed the nature of the conflict but did not signify its conclusion. The surrender at Appomattox, therefore, clearly stands out as the final major event that officially ended the Civil War.