The Attack on Fort Sumter marked the beginning of the American Civil War. It took place on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces fired on the federal garrison at Fort Sumter, located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina.
Following the secession of several Southern states from the Union and their formation of the Confederacy, tensions escalated regarding federal property in those states. Fort Sumter, commanded by Major Robert Anderson, was one of the last remaining strongholds in Confederate territory.
As supplies for the fort were running low and facing demands to surrender, Major Anderson refused to vacate the fort. In response, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard ordered the bombardment of Fort Sumter, initiating hostilities between the North and South. After 34 hours of continuous shelling, Anderson surrendered the fort on April 13, 1861.
The attack on Fort Sumter galvanized public opinion in both the North and South. It led to a surge of enlistments in the Union Army and solidified the resolve of the Union to preserve the nation, while also marking the Confederacy's determination to assert its independence. The conflict that followed transformed the nation and shaped its future.