Final answer:
The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War, marking the last Confederate invasion into the North and resulting in a decisive Union victory that led to a shift in the war's momentum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The turning point of the Civil War was marked by the Battle of Gettysburg, a decisive conflict that lasted from July 1 to July 3, 1863. This was the last attempt by the South, under the command of General Robert E. Lee, to invade Union territory. The Union victory at Gettysburg, alongside the success of the Vicksburg Campaign, where the Union gained control of the Mississippi River, significantly crippled Confederate momentum and began to tilt the balance of the war in favor of the North. The battle featured a critical moment known as Pickett's Charge, where Confederate forces suffered heavy casualties attempting to break the center of the Union lines. After the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg, combined with the loss at Vicksburg on the same day, the Confederacy's resources and morale began to wane, leading to the surrender of General Lee at Appomattox Court House in 1865, effectively ending the war.