Question

Write an essay detailing the terms of surrender. Determine also whether the terms were fair or too generous and defend your position.

Answer 1

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

Although the question is incomplete and does not refer to any specific war, we can assume that it refers to the end of the Civil War, when the Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders at the Appomattox, Virginia, after the victory of the Union Army led by General Ulysses Grant. The date: April 9, 1865. The two generals had great respect for each other and Grant showed his respect to Lee and had a conversation before signing the terms of the surrender. With the authorization of President Abraham Lincoln, the terms of the surrender were generous because Lincoln really wanted a long term peace and the unity of the nation. The Confederate troops had to turn in their weapons and were allowed to return to their homes.

I think the terms were correct because what was most important at the time was not punishment but unity. The war had killed many soldiers and caused so much damage and pain in the United States. So, Lincoln wanted unity and peace, and that is how he thought about these terms.