Who won the Civil War?

In 1865, the Union declared victory over the Confederate States following their surrender at Appomattox Courthouse, Va. The American Civil War was fought between the Northern states of the Union and the Southern Confederate States of America.

The Civil War started Apr. 12, 1861 after the first shot was fired on Fort Sumter in the harbor outside Charleston, S.C. The first major battle did not take place until July 21, 1861, and it was a commonly held belief that the war would be decided during this one battle. It took four years of battle and destruction before the Confederate States surrendered to Union forces in 1865.