Fort Sumter (related)

Fort Sumter is a sea fort located in Charleston, South Carolina. It gained historical significance as the site where the first shots of the American Civil War were fired in April 1861. The conflict started when Confederate forces demanded its surrender from Union troops, and when that was refused, they attacked. This event marked the beginning of a four-year war between the Northern states (Union) and Southern states (Confederacy) over issues including states' rights and slavery. Fort Sumter remains a symbol of American strife and the struggle to preserve the Union.