Why did people celebrate in the Union capital on April 3, 1865?

• A. Richmond, Virginia fell to Union forces
• B. Lee surrendered at Appomattox
• C. Grant crossed the Mississippi
• D. Philadelphia fell to Union forces

Answer: (A)

Capturing the Confederate capital shifted the war’s momentum and lifted morale in the Union capital. Richmond had been the political heart and a symbolic center of the Confederacy; its fall meant the Confederate government and many of its forces had lost their stronghold, signaling that the South’s resistance was crumbling. News of this victory in Washington excited people because it suggested the end of the war was in sight, even though the fighting would continue for a few days more (the final surrender would come a bit later at Appomattox). The other events aren’t tied to that date: the surrender at Appomattox happened later, the Mississippi crossing occurred earlier, and Philadelphia never fell to Union forces.