April 9th in History: From War's End to Space's Beginning
Turning Points That Changed Our World: April 9th stands as a day when history took sharp turns. In 1865, after four bloody years of the American Civil War, Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. This meeting between two generals in a small courthouse marked the beginning of the end for the deadliest conflict in American history. The terms were respectful - Confederate soldiers could return home without fear of punishment, keeping their horses for spring farming. This moment of grace during a bitter war helped start the healing of a divided nation.