Grant won the pivotal battle of Vickburg, which gave the Union army control over the Mississippi river, grain stores, and boosted the Union army’s morale. Vicksburg was a strategic stronghold that Lincoln was determined to overtake. In December 1862, with the approval of Halleck, Grant moved to take Vicksburg with and , along with a water attack on the Mississippi led by Maj. Gen. Sherman. In April 1863, Grant marched Union troops across the Mississippi river and east over at Bruinsburg using Adm. 's naval ships after confusing the Confederate troops with two diversions. After taking a railroad junction near , Grant defeated Confederate General at the . After two gruesome failed assaults, Grant decided to settle for a siege that lasted seven weeks. Pemberton’s troops, weak from the lack of provisions, surrendered to Grant on July 4, 1863. This victory was pivotal because it opened up the south to , which was also overtaken later on, and gave the Union army access to the vital grain supply in Georgia. The grain supply helped the North’s troops sustain for much longer, while the South became continually lacking in provisions, which was very detrimental to their state and morale, allowing the North to win the war. The fall of Vicksburg in 1863, along with the Union naval capture of New Orleans in 1862, gave the Union Army and Navy control over the entire Mississippi, which allowed them to mobilize troops efficiently while denying the mobilization from the South. Grant also was able to figure out the South’s war weakness by defeating an entrenched Confederate Army with an indirect assault combined with diversionary tactics, maneuver easily around the Southern troops to even more victories. The victory was also a huge great morale boost for the Union war effort.
Grant led his troops to victory at Chattanooga and Petersburg, which promoted him to Lieutenant General and opened the South to a devastating invasion by Sherman that destroyed most of the South’s supplies and infrastructure. At the battle of Chattanooga, the Army of Cumberland was pushed back to Chattanooga, Tennesse by Confederate troops. Maj. Gen. and Grant were sent by President Lincoln to reinforce the Army of the Cumberland, however, the Confederates blocked the army from meeting. Grant opened up a supply line to the Army of the Cumberland trapped in Chattanooga through an ingenious plan by Maj. Gen. . On November 23, 1863, Grant had organized three armies to attack Bragg on and Confederate troops on . Maj. Gen. Sherman was to attack the right flank, The , under order from Grant, was to take the Confederate picket trenches at the base of Missionary Ridge, and Maj. Gen. Hooker and the was to take Lookout. In response to Sherman's assault Bragg withdrew Confederate troops and placed that at right flank. Seizing the opportunity, Grant ordered Thomas to attack Missionary Ridge. The Army of the Cumberland, led by and , captured the first and secondary Confederate rifle, forcing the defeated Confederates into disorganized retreat. The battle was pivotal because it opened and the heartland of the Confederacy to Union invasion by Maj. Sherman, whose March to the Sea destroyed much of the South’s supplies and infrastructure, speeding up their surrender. Grant's fame increased throughout the country, and he was promoted to Lieutenant General, a position that had previously been given to George Washington. The promotion allowed Grant to fully utilize his troops and using his unique tactics, he was able to ultimately defeat Lee at Appomattox Court House.
The Battle of Petersburg, though a win for the Union under Grant, was more pivotal due to its diversion, allowing Sherman to plunder the city of Atlanta, Georgia, the central base of the South, and all of the supply shelters along his famous March to the Sea with little to no resistance. Lee was unable to send reinforcements to counter Sherman due to a siege by Grant. Grant pushed Lee to the South Side railroad and used mortars to weaken his troops. Grant was also able to capture many vital railroads that were later on used to mobilize the North’s troops more efficiently.
Grant ultimately forced Lee to surrender at the Appomattox court house on April 9, 1865, officially ending the war, allowing Lincoln to reunite the states, abolish slavery, stop the bloodshed, and start the Reconstruction. In March 1865, Union forces took Petersburg and then captured Richmond in April. Lee's Confederate troops began deserting and became spread out. Disease and lack of supplies further weakened his forces. He tried to combine with the rest of Confederate General Joe Johnson's defeated army, but Union cavalry forces led by Maj. Gen. Phil Sheridan were able to stop the two armies from meeting. Lee reluctantly surrendered to Grant at on April 9, 1865. Being merciful and completely respectful of Lee, Grant only required that Confederate troops surrender their weapons and were allowed to return to their homes on the condition that they would not fight against the United States. Within a few weeks the was over. Without Grant’s aggressive and unique tactics against Lee’s army, the North would never have gained so much success in their battles. The surrender was very significant because it ended the war and gave the North the victory. Abraham Lincoln could then reunite the states and abolish slavery in the South through the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments. The swift surrender stopped further bloodshed in a war that already was the bloodiest in Amerrican history, with 750,000 soldiers deaths and many more civilian casualties. The surrender also allowed the North to treat the South fairly well after the war through their Reconstruction policies.
Grant played a big role in helping out the Reconstruction cause by allowing the South to keep their governments and by pushing for racial equality, achieving the goals of the Civil War. Grant helped the Reconstruction cause by insisting that the South’s leaders be pardoned and given back their positions of power, further uniting the states, which was a goal of the Civil War on the North side. When radical Republicans tried to take over the Southern elections and prevented the South from creating governments, Grant interceded and came up with a compromise that satisfied both sides without any military intervention. Because of his efforts, the South was able to build quicker with an efficient government overseeing their progress. Though still weak compared to the development of the North, the South was able to rebuild and regain some power through their seats in Congress, allowing them to be a prosperous part of the U.S. today. Grant also argued that Congress should allow Southern congressman to be seated again. Grant also pushed for racial equality by overturning the black codes of 1867, allowing more than 1,500 . Because of his efforts, blacks gained more power than they ever had and were able to govern cities and gain jobs that weren’t available to them before. Even though they weren’t completely liberated since the laws applied mostly to people with land, Grant helped them adapt away from the legacy of slavery, which was one of the goals for the Civil War on the North side.