Battle of Fort Sumter

The Battle of Fort Sumter, fought in April 1861 in Charleston, South Carolina, marked the start of the American Civil War. Union forces occupied the federal fort, but Southern states, wanting to secede from the United States, viewed it as symbolically important. Confederate forces bombarded the fort, forcing the Union to surrender. The attack signaled the outbreak of hostilities between the North and South, leading to four years of conflict over slavery and states' rights. It remains a pivotal event, illustrating the deep divisions that led to the Civil War.