Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton officially surrendered his army at Vicksburg on July 4. Although the Vicksburg campaign continued with some minor actions, the fortress city had fallen and, with the surrender of Port Hudson on July 9, the Mississippi River was firmly in Union hands and the Confederacy split in two. President Lincoln famously announced, "The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea."

Vicksburg's strategic location on the Mississippi River made it a prized asset for the Confederacy. Holding Vicksburg allowed the Confederacy to control the Mississippi, thereby enabling the movement of troops and supplies and effectively splitting the Union in two. Conversely, the Union sought to gain control of the river to cut off the Confederacy's western states and further tighten the Anaconda Plan, a strategic blockade designed to suffocate the Confederate economy and troop movements.

The capture of Vicksburg, combined with the Union victory at Gettysburg around the same time, marked a significant turning point in the Civil War. With Vicksburg in Union hands, the Confederacy was split, and the Mississippi River was under Union control for the rest of the war. This victory bolstered the reputation of Grant, leading to his eventual command of all Union armies, and signaled a shift in momentum towards the Union, setting the stage for further campaigns deep into Confederate territory.