The Civil War may have been one of the most memorable wars fought to date, more than 600,000 soldiers died from combat, accident, starvation, and disease during the Civil War.1 This was the only war to be fought on American soil by Americans. It would be an understatement to say that it was a tragic event in history. Shots fired on April 12th, 1861 that started the Civil War and its devastation, took place at what would come to be known as The Battle of Fort Sumter, in the Charleston Harbor. This was a big turning point for the United States of America. .
What Was Fort Sumter?.
Fort Sumter was one of the four military posts within the seceded states that were still held by U.S. forces.2 Fort Sumter is located on a man-made island at the mouth of the harbor in Charleston, South Carolina. The fort itself was designed as part of an elaborate coastal defense system put in place after the War of 1812.3 This fortress was seen as a symbol for national strength by both the north and south. If you are trying to make a proclamation that you are ready and willing to start a war, then what better place to do it than in the first state to vote for secession from the union. .
Lincoln's Presidency.
Not many presidents have had to face strenuous issues like the ones that President Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis had to in 1861. Abraham Lincoln took office in March of 1861, just after Jefferson Davis was inducted as unofficial President of the Confederate United States of America in February of that year.4 Lincoln's main problem was getting all the states back in the union that had seceded, while Jefferson's was to prevent that exact thing. Most southern states decided they needed slaves for their economic and cultural survival. "Lincoln on the other hand, was known to be anti-slavery, and although he had not promised during his campaign to outlaw the practice and in fact pledged to not interfere in the affairs of the then-slave-holding states, the South saw his election as a direct threat to that survival.
