What year marks the end of the Civil War?

The year that marks the end of the Civil War is 1865. This is significant because it is the year when the Confederate Army, led by General Robert E. Lee, formally surrendered to Union General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865. This event is universally recognized as the conclusion of hostilities in the Civil War, although some smaller skirmishes continued for a short time thereafter. The war officially concluded with the signing of the Treaty of Appomattox, which signified the defeat of the Confederacy and led to the subsequent process of Reconstruction in the United States.

Other years listed, such as 1863, were pivotal during the war - for instance, it was the year of the Battle of Gettysburg, a turning point for the Union; however, it did not represent the war's conclusion. The years 1870 and 1877 are too far removed from the war's end, with 1877 marking the end of Reconstruction, a separate but related period. Thus, 1865 is correctly identified as the definitive end of the Civil War.