LEGACIES OF
THE WAR
1865– 1877
Confederate surrender ensured the survival
of the Union and the freedom of slaves. The
costly peace, however, did not end conflict.
Sharply divisive questions remained about
the role that Southerners and freed African-
Americans would play in the postwar nation.
❮❮ Grand review of the armies
A victory parade to mark the end of the war took
place in Washington, D.C., on May 23 and 24, 1865.
George Meade’s 80,000-strong Army of the Potomac
marched down Pennsylvania Avenue on the first day.
The next day, William T. Sherman’s Army of Georgia,
65,000 strong, took six hours to pass the reviewing
stand. Two weeks later, both armies were disbanded.